When Bonds Are Broken
by AnimeGirls9194
Summary: Kagome was pushed out of Inuyasha's past. Now the creation of a hanyou and human's love must revive the world and saviors long forgotten, including old loves and hates, enemies and comrades. InuKag, MirSan, please r&r!Changed title
1. Prologue

**Okay here is another Fan Fiction story by the one and only NONAME!!!! (I don't know if Stage Hands helped her though)**

**Disclaimer: we do not own any of the characters made by Rumiko Takahashi! But we do own Kai!!! Yay I love him!squeal !**

Prologue:

"Mom, why does this tree have a dent in it?" asked Kai pointing to the Gishonboku (spelling?). The tree had a width of a car and the height that extended the shrines roof.

The young boy, Kai, walked around the papered rope engirdling the wide and great tree. He was eight years old, dressed in his school outfit with shaggy black hair that fell to his shoulders and bangs that nearly covered his golden eyes.

"Be careful Kai, you'll trip!" said a woman at his side. She was in her late twenties. Her once wild, wavy hair was now sleek and straight, falling to her shoulders and down to her waist. Her face was beautiful, now like a lovely woman's rather then a blooming girl's. Her eyes were softer then they once were a velvety hazel as she looked down on her son, her clothing against the wind molded into her slim body and shape. 9 years had greatly shaped Kagome Higurashi.

"Why's there a hole in the tree, mom?" asked Kai, grabbing his mothers long skirt.

His mother touched his soft, young hand and said in a soft voice, "in legend, a young priestess shot an arrow through a half-demon and into that tree hundreds of years back."

"Why?" asked Kai curiously "What happened?"

"Well" Kagome thought and paused. The thought of this tale, this past brought open a flood of memory that spilled out over her.

"Mom?" Kai urged her, tugging once again on her skirt.

"Hundreds of years ago a village existed here, as did this tree." Kagome started stroking Kai's dark hair. "In this village a miko protected the sacred Shikon Jewel. She had…..befriended." Kagome chose her word carefully "a half-demon who often tried to steal the jewel. Soon they were very close….but one day both were tricked by a demon and betrayed one another, the priestess shooting the demon she thought her friend and soon dying afterwards to follow him."

"Why?" asked Kai.

"She shot him because he had betrayed the village and stolen the jewel."

"No, no, no, not that. Why did she follow him?" asked Kai curiously "Why did she die?"

"Oh" said Kagome, and said, somewhat slowly, "Because she loved him and wanted to be with him."

"That's stupid" said Kai, sounding matter-of-factly.

"I suppose to a child you would think it is." Kagome chuckled "But I am sure the Miko wasn't"

Kai stared at her questioningly and, as the wind kicked in, he began to hold his mothers leg.

"Come on" said Kagome, urging him towards the house. "You'll get cold. Lets come inside"

"And we can have leftover cake!" Said Kai, and pulling on his mothers' skirt, and hurried inside. Half of a cake sat on the table, candles lopsidedly sticking on it. The room was light. A young man sat in the room on the floor, legs crossed as a fork stuck out of his mouth and glasses a centimeter away from his newspaper.

"Uncle Souta!" Kai exclaimed and before Souta noticed, Kai leaping onto him, wrestling him to the floor.

"Kai…I-Its nice t-to see…you too!" Souta gasped, tearing the weight of this Eight-year-old against his twenty-two-year-old body. "b-but you're gonna suffocate me!"

"Kai, your cutting years off of your uncles life, you'd better get off him so he can at least live till he is 40." Said Kagome pouring herself some tea.

Kai reluctantly got off his uncle and soon began to spear his cake with chopsticks. Souta joined him as he doubled the chocolate frosting.

"So now your already 8" said Souta to Kai. "You're almost as old as I am."

"Then I'd be really old" said Kai and Souta ruffled his hair.

"At least I am not as old as your mom." Said Souta and then yelling "OUCH! What was that for!?" as Kagome landed her heel on his head.

"I heard that!" she said fiercely, "and now I am going to take 100 years off your **young **life!"

"Wait…sis, calm down, I was just –ow- kidding!" said Souta as she stomped his head.

"Well don't kid when your life is at stake!" Kagome advised, ceasing to use his head as a foot rest.

"How old are you mom?" asked Kai, his voice still light despite his uncles bumps and bruises.

"Oh me?" Said Kagome "I'm 29 and as radiant as always."

"Radiant my a—"Souta begun.

"Souta lets learn from our sister shall we?" as Kagome launched her foot at the back of Souta's head and hit. Falling flat on the ground, Souta lay with bumps protruding from his head on the tatomi mats.

"So I was born when mom was…" Kai counted off his fingers, whispering the numbers until he exclaimed, "20! Mommy was 20 when she had me!"

"Great math!" Souta mumbled as he clutched the back of his throbbing head.

Kai looked of fro a while, pausing until he said softly, almost a whisper, "I wonder how old my dad was then."

"Kagome, Souta," Mrs. Higurashi interrupted, appearing from the kitchen, "I need you for a moment. Dad, can you watch over Kai?" said Mrs. Higurashi into the kitchen.

"Of course," said Jii-chan, coming out and greeting and being by Kai, "Go, you can talk"

Kagome and Souta entered the kitchen, the door closing behind them and Jii-chan beginning to rattle on to Kai. Kai was unusually interested into Jii-chan's myths, but since he was getting older, he tended to fall asleep in the middle of his tales. So Kai just idly listened and usually eavesdropped on the other adults. At school he was reprimanded for the skill of listening into the teachers conversations, but eventually became well enough not to be noticed. Plus his tapered ears that sharpened his hearing couldn't hurt. Kai listened to Jii-chan's talk of sprites before he fell asleep, then he quietly crept over to the kitchen door. There he pressed his ear against the door and listened carefully; the adults could say almost anything in front of Kai but confidential stuff they talked in private. Soon he heard voices and then clear words and sentences.

"Kagome," said Mrs. Higurashi in a patient voice, "He's now eight years old. Its been nine ears since you have been pregnant with him and I never, ever approved of that, but now I love him like my son."

"What do you mean?" Kagome's voice came quietly.

"He's been alive for nine years" said Mrs. Higurashi "And he still doesn't know the man who is his father, and I know he has asked me more then a couple of times."

"Me too," Souta added.

"I know you have been telling him he died when he was way too young to remember –"

"He did die!" Kagome interrupted her mother. Her eyes narrowed, she clenched the cloth of her skirt in her tightening fist, and she said in a soft voice, "He is dead to me."

Kai listened in silence, his body unmoving but his mind racing. His father was still alive? He was still out there? Could he be? Who was his father?

Souta waited for a while before saying, "But we don't know if InuYasha **IS** dead"

"I am sure Kai wonders more and more who his father is everyday," said Mrs. Higurashi gently, "because move and more he resembles him. He is unique…with half-demon blood flowing through him."

"But he doesn't need to know." Said Kagome firmly.

"But doesn't he want to? But doesn't he want to know why he can jump as high as a car or why he has pointed ears and golden eyes?"

"He is still young and doesn't need to know yet" Kagome said assuring.

"But when will you tell him?" said Souta facing his sister, "when will he need to know?"

'Now,' thought Kai 'I need to know now!'

"I'll tell him when he's older," said Kagome, standing up, "when the time is right"

"When the time is right for him?" said Souta, his voice beginning to rise, "after 8 more years? When will he have the ti –"

"No" said Kagome standing firmly and her eyes intently on the floor. "Not only when the time is right for him, when the time is right for me as well."

Kai heard footsteps approaching the door. Hurrying he leapt onto the floor by Jii-chan's feet, curled up in a ball, and feigning sleep. The kitchen door opened and Kagome looked at her sleeping son. She knelt by him, kissed his cheek, and went outside, her jacket tightened over her.

Ka-chak. The door was shut with Souta and Mrs. Higurashi in the kitchen. Kai lay, thinking. His father's short patience and acting without thinking was one thing he hadn't inherited his mother had told him. Kai was fairly intelligent for an 8-year-old. Something he also hadn't inherited from her, she had muttered. His wits were also what made him dangerous, something the adults did not overlook.

Kai had caught a few words. Half… was it half-demon they had said? The one word though, Kai remembered clearly was InuYasha. He turned, beginning to fall asleep.

Was that…his father's name?

"Jii-chan, what's a half-demon?"

"What's that you say?" asked Jii-chan, awakening from his nap.

"Half demon, Jii-chan, half-demon" Kai repeated eagerly "What are they?"

"Where'd you hear of half-demons?" Jii-chan curiously asked

"At…at school" Kai wildly invented "What are they?"

"Well," Jii-chan proudly puffing out his chest and taking a deep breath as if he was going to recite a 7-foot scroll, "Half-demon existed hundreds of years ago back in feudal Japan. They of off springs of humans and full demon's, hated by humans for being half demon and hated by demons for being half human." Jii-chan sighed, somewhat sympathetically "they live a hard life, half-demons. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just curious" said Kai

"Good for you" said Jii-chan, ruffling Kai's hair proudly. Then he waggled his old finger at Kai saying huffily, "Your mother was never interested in Japans mythical heritage, you know. She would used to give my gifts to her to Bouyo at play with," Jii-chan said the last sentence self pityingly and continued, "But she became interested eventually."

"When? Why?" asked Kai

Jii-chan fingered his beard thoughtfully as he patted Kai's head, then saying, "Well, I think it was about…14 years ago, I think? When Kagome traveled down the we –"

Jii-chan stopped, looking frantically surprised that the words had popped out of his mouth.

Kai's curiosity as a young child eagerly asked, "Well? Did you say 'well'? Traveled down a well?"  
"That's…" Jii-chan began, "That's not what I meant to say."

Jii-chan's frantic voice betrayed his words.

"But that's not what you said Jii-chan!" Kai exclaimed.

"No, that's not what I said," Jii-chan firmly insisted. "I meant to say when you mother was not well. She wanted to hear my storied when she was not well."

"How did mommy travel down the well?!" asked Kai excitedly "What happened to her?! Why hasn't she told –"

"I didn't say anything about Kagome traveling down a well!" Jii-chan declared.

"Yes, yes you did, you did!" said Kai

"No, I didn't" said Jii-chan

"Yes, you did!"

"No, I didn't!"

"You did too!"

"I did not!"

"You did!"

"I didn't!"

"But, "said Kai desperately, "you- you said she traveled down the-"

"You shouldn't listen to me I am senile!" Jii-chan announced loudly

"Is the well in the shrine?" Kai asked, "The boarded up well in the shrine."

"There is no well in the shrine!" said Jii-chan firmly

"But I saw it!" said Kai "I saw it yester –"

"Ah yah, Ah yah, Ah yah, Ah, yah!" Jii-chan shouted with his hands over his ears and eyes closed. "I'm not listening."

"But Jii-chan" Kai exclaimed over his grandfathers Ah yah's.

"I hear no evil, I hear no evil!" Jii-chan shout-chanted, "I am deft, I hear no evil!"

Kai frustratedly shouted. "Fine, ill go find out myself if you wont tell me!" and left the room, hearing his grandfathers echoing 'Ah yah's' and 'I hear no evil'

Kagome was in the shrine. The well had been boarded up for 13 years now, ever since she was trapped in present day. She sat on it, remembering when she used to go down it and end up in the past.

'The past' she thought with a sigh.

She had left junior high and graduated high school and, because she had to be in the past most of the time, she hadn't attended collage. (Much to her mother's great displeasure.)

When she thought of the past, it felt like a dream, like it never really happened. But Kagome knew it was all too real. She had too much reminders of the past such as –

"Bouyo!" Kagome exclaimed as she looked at the old cat approaching her.

Bouyo was fatter and flabbier then he once was before, 14 years back. Bouyo wasn't as active as he was before as well (Meaning he was basically a living pillow) due to old age and arthritis.

Kagome grabbed Bouyo from his underside and put him on her lap. When she thought about it, it was Bouyo's doing that she ended up in the past.

Kagome looked at the fat cat. When she had first entered the past, she had been a young lively junior high school girl and when she had former left it, she had been a slightly more mature younger woman expecting mother. Then she had lived the next nine years of her life in the present, raising her young son with the help of her mother, Jii-chan, and her brother Souta. She loved her son so dearly and the sight of him filled her with two very different emotions; Happiness and joy at his smiling face and painful reminiscence at his very being.

Painful reminiscence filled her whenever she thought of her time in the past. Sometimes she wondered whether she would like to remember it at all, bad and good times, or wish it never happened and forget it all.

Kagome lifted Bouyo before her, an inch away from his face and asked the cat,

"Was there a reason you sent me to the past?"

As Kagome left the shrine she wondered vaguely if she had seen the old cat nod.

Kai hadn't asked anybody else about Kagome and the well since his Jii-chan (And Jii-chan wasn't very good at lying about this either) He had approached Mrs. Higurashi a half an hour back, but didn't have the will to ask.

Kai tucked his jacket over him tightly and walked outside. He was almost certain that Sot and Mrs. Higurashi would deny him his answer like Jii-chan had (after all, Jii-chan was willing to admit anything to Kai, even at the point when the adults had to slap their hands over his mouth.) Kai planned to ask someone who would know the answer for sure:

Kagome Higurashi

He had know that his mother had left to clean the shrine (she did so every autumn) But Kai didn't know if his mother would tell him the answer or not. What if she was even more persistent then Jii-chan?

Kai tried not to think about this. He was certain his mother would tell him, she never refused him things before, unless he asked about his father. But this wasn't related to that, was it?

"Mom!" Kai shouted as Kai approached. Kagome's long traditional skirt wrapped around her, as did her long waist length hair. Kai hurried to his mother open arms.

"What are you doing out here honey?" Kagome asked Kai as she stroked his hair.

"I came out to ask you a question." Said Kai, eagerly tugging his mother's skirt.

Kagome looked kindly at her son and said, "What is it?"

Kai looked up at his mom and asked, "Did you ever travel down the well?"

Kagome looked down; her expression changed "Where…where did you hear that from?"

"From Jii-chan!" said Kai, not noticing his mother's expression of surprise. ""Is it true?"

Kagome was silent for a moment, not looking at her son but at the shrine.

"Mommy?" Kai asked "Mommy is it true?"

Kai tugged at her skirt and repeated, "Mom? Mommy, did you really travel down the well?Kagome muttered something, but Kai didn't hear.

"Mom?" Kai repeated more loudly "Mom, did you travel down the well?"

"No," said Kagome in a low whisper.

"What?" said Kai.

"No!" Kagome suddenly shouted.

"B-but mom," said Kai surprised by the anger in his mother's voice "but Jii-chan –"

"No, I never traveled down the well!" Kagome shouted.

"But, but…" Kai began, hurt by how his mother was yelling at him.

"No, and I don't want to hear you ask that again!"

"But" said Kai his voice now tearful "But why?"

"Because I don't ever want to hear it!" Said Kagome her voice raised.

"But I don't…" Kai began, tears welling in his eyes, "I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand" Said Kagome, her voice falling in decibels.

Kai didn't say anything more his face turned down and his shoulders shaky. His whipped his face at his mother, tears beginning to stream down his face.

Kagome was surprised at her son's tears and shut her mouth silently.

"Why…," Kai said, his voice trembling, "why don't you tell me these things!?"

Tears fell down his face… Kagome watched helplessly as her son cried.

"Like y-you never t-t-tell me about my father or a-about anything?!" Kai cried.

"Kai," Kagome began in a soft voice. She immediately regretted that she yelled at him, "That's not it…"

"Yes it is!" said Kai shaking his head and spraying his tears on his clothing. "Why don't y-you tell me anything!? I thought I-I was your son!"

"Honey, honey" Kagome knelt down and touched her sons face, "Please don't…"

Kai shook away his mothers hand and leapt, shouting, crying, "I thought you c-could tell me anything!"

"Kai, please I am sorry…" Kagome began helplessly

"No, your n-not!" Kai cried. He sniffled, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and saying, his voice still shaky, "I thought you loved me."

Kagome froze after this sentence, it hurt. She reached out for her son with her hand and saying softly, "I do love you."

"Then why do you have to hide?" Kai said and then turned around and began to run away from his mother.

"Kai!" Kagome yelled as she began to run after him. Kagome could not catch up with him, though, because when his emotions were high, his demon blood kicked in. He ran fast as he sped to the only place he knew he would find his answers: the well in the shrine. To blind by his emotions, he didn't care what happened, what could happen or what did happen, except that he was away from his mother. Kai made his was to the shrine with his mother still running after him inside. He looked around; he couldn't remember where it was but it had to be here. Then with sudden realization he found it: the well. He raced to it as soon as Kagome entered the shrine.

The well had a thick wooden board over it, with paper charms over it that's power had long worn away.

Kagome knew what her son was planning, "Kai, wait, don't go in the well!"

Kai didn't listen and amazingly pushed the thick cover off the well. It fell to the ground with a deep clatter and, before Kagome could reach him, Kai leapt into the old well. He couldn't see the bottom, it was too dark, but he jumped in anyway. Kagome, clambering onto the side of the well, jumped in afterwards and fell to the base with a thump after seeing cob webs, ivy and moss on the wells walls. Kagome landed on her feet and tumbled to her knees, her hands on the dirt.

"Ow…" she muttered, her knees and hands throbbing "Kai, don't you ever do that aga…"

Kagome stopped; her heart skipped a beat as she looked around her. If she talked no one would hear her, for she was alone at the bottom of the well.


	2. chapter 1: Return

Chapter 1:

Kai looked up from the well, seeing sunlight bleeding over him. The light blinded him as he held his hand over his face. Since he landed on his stomach, his body throbbed. Was the bottom of the well made up of sharp rocks? Kai looked down at the base of the well where he lay and saw the scattered debris of human bones. His eyes widened and he couldn't scream as every fiber of his being cried, 'Get away, get out of here now!' Kai grabbed the ivy-clad walls and quickly clambered out of the well, his heart thumping madly and loudly. Collapsing on the soft ground beside the well, Kai felt his breathe leave him in jagged gasps. Kai clutched his chest and finally opened his eyes.

'Where am I?!'

Smoke consumed the clouds as it poured from the village. The huts streamed with people in traditional Japanese clothing. Kai looked around in awe and consternation. He didn't recognize anything. This wasn't the shrine. This wasn't his home. Then he saw something, the only thing familiar to him: the Gishonboku. Shimenawa decorated the tree, as did the large dent in the middle. If the tree was there and the well was there did that mean…

Was he still here, in Japan's Tokyo?

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Kai jumped and then felt something hard hit him. He flew to the ground and slid into a tree. His eyes snapped open and he saw someone over him. But what caught his eye was the curved blade she held in her hand and the blood dripping from her arm.

"I told you to get out of the way!" she breathed, "Stupid b--"

The girl was thrown off of Kai as a long, snake-like creature slammed into her. Its body was covered in silver scales and cuts across its bare flesh. It shrieked and Kai felt as if his ears were bleeding in its high-pitched scream.

"Damn bug!" the girl shouted, getting up from the ground as blood covered her sleeve and ran down her skin. The snake-creature charged after her as she unwrapped another curved blade. It shrieked again, baring its fangs. The girl crossed her arms over her face, holding her blade and then launching. They sped through the air like boomerangs and, in a shower of blood, severed the head of the snake creature in its necks front and back. Kai felt the droplets fall onto him as the creature cried and writhed in pain and then collapsed onto the ground, dead. Kai felt sick at the sight of the pooling liquid and found himself incapable of speaking. He didn't even try to open his mouth in fear of being sick.

The girl walked over after the blades had flown back into her hands and looked down on the dead snake-creature. "Its blood, you're gonna have to get used to the sight of it," she said, reading his expression. "It's dead already. Anyways, what the hell did you think you were—Hey, what're you…"

Kai got to his feet and began to run away. He knew he couldn't run far, his legs were weak and trembling, but he had to get away from here. Sweat beaded his face and his body burned. He ran as far as he could go, the soles of his feet throbbing against the hard ground. The forest flashed around his as he sped up until he was blinded by the tears in his eyes. Kai tripped on a thick root and fell to the ground. Kai began to cry as he lay on the ground, feeling the hot tears on his face. He didn't even know why he was crying, except that was confused and scared.

Where he and what was was going on?

Kai huddled against a tree and continued to sob as he his head in his hugged knees. Tears still streamed down his face and his breathing was trembling and rough.

Then he felt something he hadn't before; the warm touch of a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw the girl holding his shoulder. On the back of his hand he wiped his tears. This time he saw her clearly and noticed the small, cat-like creature on her shoulder. She had shoulder length hair that was tied up into a pony-tail at the back of her head except for the locks that framed her face. She was older than Kai, but she wasn't mature enough to be a young woman. She wore a yukata and two curved blades wrapped in a cloth at the sash she wore around her waist. Her face, unlike the fiery expression she had worn before, was soft and kind. Just looking at this girl's warm face reminded Kai of his mother and her felt homesick to be in her arms.

The girl knelt beside Kai, wrapping her arms around her knees. She pulled a cloth from inside her yukata and handed it to Kai. She let his wipe his face for a while until his breathing had regulated and his tears had stopped. "Hey," she said. Her voice was soft in gentle, tinted with maturity but still ripe with youth. "You okay now?"

"I'm…not sure," said Kai honestly. "I don't think I know anything anymore."

"Why?" asked the girl.

"…I don't know where I am, what's going on, and I'm all confused." Kai admitted feeling tears sting his eyes. He knew he was close to tears again.

"Well," said the girl, grinning, "you can at least know one thing. M'names Shizuko, but you can call me Shizu."

"…I'm…" Kai began. He wondered whether to tell her and decided to trust Shizu, "Kai: Kai Higurashi."

Shizu was silent for a moment, staring blankly at Kai. Kai looked at her face curiously. "What's wrong?" Kai asked.

"…nothing really," said Shizu, "accept…"

Shizu stopped in the middle of her sentence and then tightened her face as if trying to remember something.

"'Except' what?" Kai asked.

"Except," said Shizu and faced Kai, "I think I heard your name before."

"My name? Kai?"

"No, no," said Shizu, shaking her head, "your last name 'Higurashi'."

"Higurashi?" Kai asked, confused.

"No…" Shizu said and tossed her head back, waving her hand. "…It's okay; just forget it," She said dismissively, "just my vague memories."

"Oh," said Kai. He didn't pursue the question any further; he was confused enough as it was. But he was content. Around Shizu he felt calm and safe, even if he was confused. Being around Shizu was like being around his mother or the unfelt before an older sister.

"So," said Shizu, "are you one of Kaede's?"

"What?" confusedly Kai asked.

"Kaede's," Shizu repeated. "are you one of Kaede's?"

"I've never heard of 'Kaede's'." said Kai admittedly. He didn't like being confused and he didn't like being really confused. He didn't like being how he was now.

"You've never heard of Kaede?!" exclaimed Shizu incredulously.

Kai jumped as she shouted, as did the cat-creature on Shizu's shoulder.

"N-no, I haven't," Kai stammered, surprised.

"Where are you from? Are you not from here? Are you not from nearby? Are you foreign or something?" Shizu demanded rapidly, edging closer and closer to Kai. Soon she had her face so close to his he toppled back.

Kai got up, clutching the back of his head. "I-I don't even know where I am. I don't know if I'm foreign or not."

"Oh yeah," said Shizu thoughtfully, "well, if you don't know, you're in Japan. It's an--"

"Japan?!" said Kai suddenly, his eyes snapping wide. This time Shizu was taken aback sand jumped. "Yeah, you're in the island of Japan."

"Am I in Japan's capitol? Am I in Tokyo?" Kai asked quickly, his voice sudden and eager.

"Tokyo?" Shizu slowly asked, confusion displayed on her face. Now it was her turn to be confused.

"Yeah!" said Kai eagerly.

"I've…" Shizu began. Apparently she was very confused. "…I've never heard of T-Tokyo." She ruefully admitted.

"You…!" Kai said and suddenly he stopped. The apparent eagerness in him before had left. Now more confusion wiped over him as he said, slowly, "you didn't?"

Shizu shook her head. "You mean Japan's Tokyo?"

"Yeah," said Kai. His head couldn't hold much more.

"….no, I haven't heard of Tokyo," said Shizu, "is that your birth land?"

"I suppose," said Kai and he put his head in his hands. He didn't know anything anymore. He felt the heat of his face in his hands. His body burned. 'What's going on?' Kai thought hopelessly. He already felt close to tears. He wanted his mother. He wanted to be back with grandma, Jii-chan and uncle Sota. He wanted to be back home at the shrine. Even if he had only been here (wherever here was,) for a while, he missed home in Tokyo badly. Kai felt warmth on his knees again and lifted his face from his hands, expecting to see Shizu's hands on him but instead looking into a pair of wide, bright-orange eyes. For the third time that day, Kai toppled over and succeeded in his smashing his head into the ground, the creature with orange eyes leaping off of him and onto a surprised Shizu. Kai clutched his chest with his heart beating, his breath heavy and in jagged gasps.

'How many times am I gonna fall over today?' thought Kai savagely.

Shizu looked over at Kai, laughing as the sat creature climbed onto her shoulder. She said, still giggling, "You okay?"

"I think so," said Kai. He could feel his head ache. Then he jabbed a finger at the cat-creature on Shizu's shoulder, tears of pain in his eyes. 'W-what is that?"

"Oh!" said Shizu, grabbing the cat-creature in front of Kai. Kai backed away tentatively. "You mean her? This is Kirara. Hey, it's okay; she may be a demon cat but its only demons she bites. You don't have to back away!"

"D-demon cat?" said Kai.

"Yeah, but it's okay, really!" Shizu insisted, playfully petting Kirara. "She wont bite humans… well, the good ones at least. She used to be my mothers and still is, but now that I'm twelve and old enough to hunt demons, she tags around with me. She's real useful because I can ride on her and she can fight with me. Plus," said Shizu and pressed her cheek on Kirara's happily, "she's my companion. And it doesn't hurt that she's adorable in both forms!"

"Y-you mean…" said Kai. He wasn't sure what to think anymore, his head now throbbing with confusion. After what Shizu had just said his mind raced. "You mean, Kirara's a demon cat?!"

"Yeah, but she doesn't look like one until you see the two tails and when she's in her lion-sized battle form." said Shizu.

Kai looked silently for a moment and then stammered in a low, soft voice, "When you say demon, you m-mean like monsters and oni, right?"

Shizu looked at Kai as if he were joking. "Of course, what else?" Shizu laughed, stroking Kirara. "I can't think of any other demons except those daimyo and bandits."

"You mean there actually are demons?!" Kai loudly exclaimed.

"Yeah," said Shizu. She was looking peculiarly at Kai, as if he were a lost kid in a completely different world. "Are you being serious? Of course there are demons, they're everywhere! What did you think attacked you and me earlier? I'm a demon slayer!" Then Shizu said ponderingly, "You probably are foreign. Do they have demons outside of Japan?"

"But I'm from Japan!" said Kai. Now he was utterly confused and lost.

"Are you sure?" said Shizu, looking at him, "from the island of Japan?"

"Yeah!" said Kai.

"Then how come you don't know about demons?" said Shizu, now as confused as Kai. "They're everywhere; they've been that way for hundreds of years! It would be impossible not to know about them unless you were just born and you don't strike me as a day old!"

"I'm not a day old, I've been alive for nine years and I haven't seen a demon before until today!" said Kai loudly and truthfully. "The only places I've heard about them are in stories my Jii-chan told me!"

"B-but that doesn't make sense!" said Shizu. "How can you have only known about demons through myths and tales? They exist, here and now!"

"But I've never seen them before!" Kai said desperately.

"But that's not possible!" said Shizu just as desperately. "Are you lying to me or something?"

"I'm not lying, I'm telling the truth!" said Kai firmly. "I've never seen a demon in my life until that snake thing and Kirara!"

"But you have to be lying, that can't be true or possible!" Shizu declared.

"I'm not lying, it's true!" said Kai, now standing up and clenching his fists. "I'm telling the truth, I am!"

"But," Shizu confusedly began, "but that can't be, it just can't! There are demons everywhere!"

"Well, there weren't any in my Japan!" Kai announced. "I didn't see any until I went down the well and appeared here!"

Kai expected Shizu to yell back at him, to stand up and desperately say, 'but that's not true, there have always been demons and always will!' but she was silent. She only stared at the boy in sudden wide-eyed astonishment, her mouth barely gaping. She seemed appalled. Kai looked back at her. His mind raced and his head throbbed. What was going on?! Then Shizu opened her mouth, and closed her mouth wordlessly, closed it, opened it, closed it, opened it, and finally, silently closed it. Then she opened it at last, saying, "Y-you mean you came out of the well?"

"Yeah, that's how I got here." Kai said. He was too exhausted to yell anymore, too exhausted to think, to move, to talk, to even comprehend. All he could do was to deeply inhale and exhale.

"You mean…" Shizu looked at him avidly, "you mean bone-eater's well…?"

Kai didn't answer, but his reply would have been the silence he already held.

As Kai and Shizu just stared at one another, Shizu's eyes widened even more. She stood up with a blank but suddenly determined expression and, before he knew it, Shizu grabbed Kai's wrist and began to run with him in the forest.

"W-wait!" Kai stammered as eh was forced to keep up or fall flat on his face. "Wait, what you are--"

"I knew it!" exclaimed Shizu. "I knew I heard it before!"

They continued to run, long and hard, Kai often tripping while Shizu expertly over the roots of trees. The treetops were so thick only small shards of light permeated the forest. Then Shizu stopped, catching her breath at her destination. Kai dropped to his knees; he was exhausted in both mind and body. This was the only part of the forest without any trees, but a bare blank circle surrounded by growth. A patch of sky apparently shone, pale-blue. As Kai looked up into the sky, he quickly caught his breath while Shizu was still gasping. Then Kirara leapt off her shoulder.

"Kirara, transform!" Shizu exclaimed.

Then Kirara was lost momentarily in a burst of light and flame. Kai leapt a foot back from a humungous, lion-like Kirara with long fangs and flame around its paws and the ends of its tails.

"C'mon!" said Shizu, but instead of waiting for Kai, grabbing him and forcing him on to Kirara.

"Up Kirara, and we go back home!" Shizu instructed. Kai looked in astonishment and terror as Kirara leapt off the ground and into the air.

Kai whimpered and clung to Shizu, tightly grasping her waist as they soared over the forest.

"H-hey!" said Shizu, looking back at frantic Kai with his eyes tightly closed, "not so tight!"

Kai said nothing, his face white and sweat beading his skin, his mouth firmly shut and his eyes closed. He was too scared to say anything.

"Hey, its okay, you don't have to close your eyes!" said Shizu, laughing. "C'mon, open your eyes, the view's great up here!"

Kai cracked open one of his golden eyes and looked down. They were so up high the villagers' homes looked toy-sized and the villagers like mini-figurines. They had to be more than twenty-feet in the air as they soared high above the trees and rooftops. Then Shizu jabbed a finger at something below in front of Kai's face. It looked like a small circular container of wood with an endless bottom.

"There!" said Shizu pointing over at the object. "Is that the well you came through?"

"Yeah, when the snake attacked!" Kai answered. It didn't look like the well from up on Kirara.

"That's bone-eaters well!" said Shizu. "It's littered with the bones of demons killed in the village. There have been a lot more demons since the village's protector, Kaede, died."

Kai looked down on the well. He was no longer afraid; he was enraptured, exhilarated to look down on the forest and village atop a flying demon cat.

'Demons,' thought Kai. 'Does that mean there actually are demons?'

"I knew I heard it before!" said Shizu triumphantly. "I knew it, I knew it!"

"Knew what?" asked Kai, his fears gone.

"I knew…" said Shizu, turning to face Kai with her long hair whipping around her, "I knew your name."

"You did?" said Kai.

"Yeah," said Shizu. She faced forward, her face reminiscent and undeterred. For a moment she was silent, merely casting her eyes down, until she turned to face Kai, her face serious. "I've heard your name, 'Higurashi', before."

"Really, when?" Kai asked eagerly. "Who was it? Could it have been someone related to me?"

"I'm pretty sure…" said Shizu somberly, "that this person was related to you."

"Really?" asked Kai. He was curious and eager. "Who was it?"

Shizu looked silently forward as the land drifted as they flew on top of Kirara. Then she said in a low whisper, "I never knew her very well, but my parents told me all about her. They said they knew her very well. They also told me that Kirara and Shippo and others knew her, too."

"Who was she?" Kai asked. Even though he appeared not to know, in the inner depths of his heart, so faintly glowing, he knew.

"Her name," said Shizu slowly, "…was Kagome Higurashi."

Shizu watched as Kai said nothing but looked at her. The realization had hit him. Then he blurted, "Kagome Higurashi? Kagome traveled down the well?"

"Yes," Shizu shortly answered.

"But," Kai began, "but--"

"Your mother," said Shizu, "her name was Kagome, was it not?"

"How," said Kai, his eagerness gone, "how did you know?"

"Because I know who you are," said Shizu, "and your mother."

"You know my mom?!" Kai burst out with sudden realization. He almost stood up, but remained seated in fear of falling of Kirara.

"Yeah," said Shizu, "barely, but I know your mother, only in the words my parents and Shippo have told me."

"But how…" Kai couldn't think of what to ask as he stumbled over his words, "but how would you…?"

"I know her because she was the first to travel down the well from her time." said Shizu explanatorily.

"She—then—the w-well, then Jii-chan was telling the truth!" Kai declared, stammering. "Then mom did travel down the well, it w-was true!"

"Yes," said Shizu, "and then you came down."

"What do you mean? You said I traveled down the well and came here, but where is here? Am I at the bottom of the well or something?"

A flood of questions washed over Kai, his curiosity unbridled.

"Shizu looked at him, slowly answering, "Yes…and no. the way you got here was going down the well in the first place, right?"

"Yes," said Kai, "but how did you know that?"

Shizu looked at him curiously. For a moment she didn't answer but stare. Then she swiftly turned her head, saying, "I know because the only way you came out of the well and ended up here was because you had traveled through it in the first place, back in your time."

"Wait," said Kai slowly, "what…what do you mean, 'back in your time'?"

"It means exactly what I said. In order to get here, you traveled from your time to this time through the well."

"B-but, I don't get it." said Kai tremulously.

"What's not to get?" said Shizu. "In order to have gotten here, you traveled down the well in your time and arrived at this place through the well in this time."

Kai looked at her, hopelessly confused. "But," Kai stammered desperately, "but how can I be in a different time?"

"By going through the well!" said Shizu. "That's why you've never seen demons before and only heard of them in tales! It's because you're from this time, you're from another. You're probably from the future, the time from which your mother came."

"You mean…I'm in the past?" said Kai.

"From your time, yes," Shizu explained, "and from your mother's."

"But how do you know about all of this?" asked Kai.

"I know about all of this because my parents knew her, your mother. They told me about Kagome and how she was from the future." said Shizu.

"But she—how come my mother never told me?" said Kai.

Instead of answering, Shizu looked surprised. At this, Kai knew what her answer would be.

"You—she—she didn't?" asked Shizu weakly.

"No, she didn't," said Kai.

"Are…" Shizu started, "are you sure? I mean, you could've forgotten, couldn't you?"

"I don't think I would forget something like that." said Kai, "and… and when I asked her if she ever went down the well, she…" Kai stopped and remembered, with regret, what had been done. "She…" Kai weakly said, "she yelled at me, saying she hadn't and…"

When Kai stooped, Shizu asked, "and what?"

"And I ran…I ran into the shrine and jumped down the well. That's how I ended up here." Kai admitted almost ruefully and felt tears in his eyes.

"I wonder," Said Shizu ponderingly, "why she never told you."

"You mean, you don't know?" said Kai, a bit shocked. So far Shizu had answered most of his questions and he expected her to know the answer to this one as well.

"No, I don't," said Shizu in thoughtful tones.

"B-but, then I don't get it," said Kai helplessly.

"Me neither," said Shizu, "but I bet my parents know. They knew Kagome, they must know the reason."

"Yeah," said Kai half-heartedly. He was confident her parents would know but he still didn't understand why but only his mother lied to him, but his grandma, uncle, and Jii-chan.

"Rraaaaaaaaarr!!"

Kirara began to bleed, a gash dripping on her underside. Both Kai and Shizu turned stunned faces to Kirara. Then Shizu leaned at her side and saw—

"Demons," she whispered. Then she shouted, "Kirara, you have to get beyond this brush!"

But as she said these words, Kirara shuddered and began to dive into the brush, falling. Shizu grabbed onto Kirara's neck and Kai on Shizu's waist as they plummeted. Kirara fell into the thick treetops and toppled through the branches, twigs cutting and scrapping her, Shizu, and Kai. Kirara thudded onto the forest floor on her side. Around them were branches and broken twigs. Shizu and Kai, caught beneath Kirara's fall, looked up. Light streamed from the patched treetops, but the brush was still dark. Shizu hurried over to Kirara's wound and gently touched the gash. Immediately her fingertips were covered in blood with the dark pooling liquid.

"Its poison," said Shizu decisively and then, in a burst of flame, Kirara transformed back into her small, cat-sized form. Her breathing was shallow and jagged as Shizu huddled her in her arms.

"Damn it!" she said. "What kind of demon did this to you, Kirara?"

Shizu felt her shoulder tugged and saw Kai's scared face looking into the brush. "Um, Sh-Shizu," Kai stammered, "Whatever demon attacked Kirara is coming back."

Shizu whipped her head around and saw shadows creeping from the forest. Soon, the silhouettes became those of a horde of demons. Shizu saw the mixture of oni and soul-skimmers prepare to strike, posing to kill. Kai huddled behind her with Kirara cradled in his arms, white-faced. He had never seen so many demons.

Then the demons leapt into action. As the hulking oni revealed their claws and the soul-skimmers bared their fangs, Shizu grabbed her curved blades and yelled in mid-pose:

"_Magattaha_!"

She launched the blades through the air like boomerangs and they cut through the demons flesh like swords. Demons fell to the ground with their severed flesh in pools of blood, more and more leaping at Shizu and Kai. As the demons reached her, Shizu parried them with her blades and then slashed through them.

"Kai!" she shouted behind her, "do you have a weapon or can you fight?!"

"I-I can't!" Kai answered frantically.

"Then stay behind me and be careful!" Shizu ordered.

Shizu continued to slash through the multiple demons coming at her, sometimes getting cut by their claws or grazed by their teeth. But no matter how many times she cut through, the amount seemed endless. Multiple times she was showered in blood and huddles of flesh fell to her feet. She felt her strength wane and her body weaken with every blow.

Kai stood behind her, his face pale and his body shaking. Fear clutched him. He couldn't move; he could barely breathe.

The oni leapt at Shizu from her front, left, and right. As the hulking figures came down at her, she slashed through them with her curved blades. She could feel her breath leave her and her body quiver.

The sky-borne soul-skimmers dove from the intertwined treetops. Shizu threw one blade across them, parrying the oni below with the other. As the blade soared back, she caught it and slashed the demons with the pair before her. As the demons fell to the ground, so did Shizu on her knees. She hadn't fought so many demons before and now Kirara couldn't even help her. She felt her breathing so rough and deep and her limbs unwilling to move.

Soul-skimmers dived at her once again. Shizu, crossing her arms before her and holding the Magattaha, launched the curved blades. They cut through the soul-skimmers, but not all of them. Two soul-skimmers came at her and clamped their teeth into her shoulders. Shizu's face went blank as blood erupted from beneath the demons' teeth.

"Shizu!" Kai cried as she toppled back. He caught her in his arms and on is lap, her blood streaming.

Shizu gasped for air and saw the remaining horde of demons. "Damn, damn," she said weakly, trying to heave herself up. Kai felt her body shake and tremble. She strode forward and collapsed feet away on her legs and put out her arm before her, her curved blades on the ground. Pulling back her sleeve, her arm appeared to be covered in a dark cloth wrapped with a string of beads.

"Damn, I didn't want to do this, but…" Shizu pointed her outstretched arm at the demons. Then she unraveled the beads, yelling to Kai, "Get back!" and a torrent of wind began to suck itself into her hand.

"Wind Tunnel!" she shouted. Violent winds pulled into the palm of her hand where an air void was. Kai watched in astonishment as the violent gusts pulled the demons into the oblivion in the palm of her hand. Suddenly, Shizu flinched in pain.

"What's wrong?!" Kai shouted over the tumbling currents of wind.

Shizu closed the hole in her hand, cursing loudly as she held her arm. Wrapped in beads, Shizu pulled her sleeve over her arm. Kai looked at the sweat beading Shizu's face. She looked like she was in pain, and he said, "W-What—"

"There was poison in some of the demons," said Shizu, shallow-breathed, "My Wind Tunnel can't handle poison."

Then Kai saw the last four oni leap at Shizu, baring their claws. He knew Shizu couldn't fight anymore. If they got her, they would kill her. She would die. Anger burned in Kai as he felt his blood roil. His heart rapidly and audibly beat. He had to protect her. His blood seared and burned.

"Kai!" Shizu cried. "Run, now! You have to get out of here!"

As these words left her mouth, Shizu's felt the presence of the oni behind her as she turned to face Kai. She whipped her head around and saw the oni thrust their claws at her. Knowing she couldn't stop them, she put her arms over her face and knew she would die…but nothing happened.

_Pitter-patter, pitter-patter_

Shizu felt blood spray her face as she heard the pitter-patter of the droplets drip onto the ground. She cracked open one of her eyes, looking through her arms and saw Kai jumping at the demons and slashing them apart. His face was smeared in blood as he cut through the demons with his talons. The demons cried out in pain, their deep and long gashed spurting blood and fell to the ground. Breathing hard, Kai merely glared at the corpses, his hands covered in blood. His face was set and his golden eyes shone brightly as they narrowed. Then sudden realization hit him. With wide eyes, Kai looked at his blood-soaked hands and the corpses before him. But what he realized stunningly were the talons of his hand. His talons.

He turned to face Shizu, whose face was filled with awe as she held Kirara; she stared blankly and blood-streaked at him.

"Y-you…you killed those demons with your bare hands," she stammered softly.

Kai only stared at her, breathing hard and unevenly. Shizu cast her eyes down and then looked at Kai, smiling softly, "…I knew it."

"Knew…knew what?" Kai barely breathed.

Shizu looked at him, her eyes half closed and her smile soft. Then she said something Kai hadn't expected, only loud enough for him to barely hear:

"It's your father's blood showing through you… Inu-Yasha's blood."


	3. Chapter 2: Explaination

**I hope you like chapter two, because I know I have been looking forward to it, noname was being a meany and not telling me what was going to happen, meany! **

Chapter two

The sky was tinted dark by the night, the miasma only made it darker, almost pitch-black. The bone, streaked in blood that made up the castle, shone in the darkness. But it was only the castle that appeared through the darkness, within the castle darkness abided as well.

Blood splattered the rooms in the castle. That Tatani mats were slashed and tattered, straw across the floor. The bone walls looked as if they had been slashed and cut by blades and painted in the enemy's blood. The only life in the castle was the reanimated flesh of a demon, a familiar demon, once human, who was brought back from the brink of death and revived as a hanyou. The hanyou known as Naraku. The curtains pulled over the chamber, the highest in the castle, were torn and twisted. Like the tattered tree tops, they partially hid what lay behind them, no lanterns, candles, or flame illuminated the chamber. Only the faint moonlight barely filtering through the window as the long, white hair on which it was reflected.

Sitting by the stone sill was a demon clad in a heavy, dark robe. The crease of his pale face was silhouetted by the pale light streaming from the window and his dark hair barley lightened by its touch.

"Kanna," he said in his deep, collected voice at the white haired girl, "Show me where the disturbance has occurred."

Kneeling in her long, white rob and nodding her pale head, Kanna silently obliged and held up her large, circular mirror. In the mirror appeared Naraku's face and then an old ivy-colored well. At the sight of the well Naraku said, "Ah, the bone-eaters well." Naraku waved his hand and the image disappeared from the mirror. As he stared back into the window, the commerce of his mouth slowly lifted and a miraculous smile played across his face. Then he lifted his hand into the air.

"Kanna, bring to me the remains of your sister." He said softly.

Kanna's blank eyes closed and she collapsed her mirror. As her eyes closed, the mirror glowed light bled through it, illuminated the room. Naraku suddenly watched as the light slowly faded and the darkness grew. Then, before him, appeared a corpse. The corpse lay with slashes and gashes, the dry blood coloring its deathly pale skin. The dark hair was splayed in the floor beneath it, the red, pupil-less eyes opened and blank. The robe torn and jagged, opening to reveal cut skin and severed flesh. There lay the corpse of Kagura as the knees of Naraku.

Naraku smiled down at her blank, life-less face. Kagura's face reflected in Kanna's mirror as Naraku stroked it, breathing, "Kagura…you will finally come to use my command."

As Naraku touched her skin, he smiled. Suddenly, Kagura's skin pulsed and her flesh grew warm from the coldness it long held. Soon her flesh did not warm, but it burned. Kanna's mirror continued to commence with a sinister glow, illuminating Kagura. Flesh snaked over her, blood surging beneath her layer if skin. The red, pupil-less eyes glowed bright. He color began to change as the irises grew bright. Soon the irises were transparent blue, as became her long tangled hair still streaked with its original dark color. The deathly white skin breathed with color of soft peach and pale flesh.

Naraku smiled as the gashes healed themselves beneath her torn fabric and the heart began to beat again in his hands. It slowly quivered then her chest slowly rose and fell. Breath rose from her mouth. She began to inhale and exhale but she still lay as motionless as a stone. Flesh, new flesh snaked over her body from the empty place of her heart.

Naraku leaned over her as the flesh consumed her body, whispering, "You are reborn, my daughter. Your name is Kagura and you do and always shall follow my wishes."

Kagura said nothing, skin still pulsing over her, "… you will follow my wishes" said Naraku, "and destroy the bone-eaters well."

"I CAN'T BELIVE I LET THIS HAPPEN!" Kagome put her face in her hands, unable to stop her streaming tears as they dripped down her wrists. She sobbed loudly, nearly collapsing on the table. Souta attentively approached her.

"S-sis, its okay, it's not the end of the world," said Souta apprehensively.

Kagome didn't seem to have heard him as she sobbed, "I can't

b-believe I l-let this h-happen! It's a-all my fau-fault!"

"Honey, honey." Said Mrs. Higurashi, touching her daughters shoulder gently. "P-please don't cry…Souta's right, It's not the end of the world."

"No! It's the end of the world!" said Kagome taking her face from her hands and revealing it tear stained, "It's the end on **m-my **world! And I c-couldn't do anything to stop it!"

Kagome's tears couldn't stop and her trembling breath grew more violent. Her whole body shuttered as she sobbed and cried.

Jii-chan, at the other side of the table, closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"They are right, your brother and mother," said Jii-chan wisely, "It Kai going down the well was anyone's fault… it was mine."

"Yes, it was." Said Souta and Mrs. Higurashi simultaneously.

"Hey thanks for raising a mans spirit." Said Jii-chan back.

"Please, Kagome, please." Mrs. Higurashi begged, "It's really not your fault he went down the well…"

"Yes, it is!" Said Kagome, still sobbing, "W-why cant y-you people ge-get it? Its a-all my fau-fault! It's be-be-because I ye-yelled at him, it's a-all because o-of me-me!"

Kagome's face and chest collapsed onto the table. Her tears pooled beneath her tangled, dark hair and her shoulders violently shook. She looked as if she were breaking into pieces.

"C'mon, Kagome you know that's not true." Said Souta, his voice of firmness softened by the sight of his sisters disheveled state.

"Your brother's right," said Mrs. Higurashi, "You can't beat yourself up over this."

"W-why cant I?!" said Kagome, her breath evening. "Why c-can't I blame myself for making me m-my son get trapped I-in the past, filled with d-demons and bandits without his mo-mother?!"

All the Higurashi's said nothing after this, Mrs. Higurashi, Jii-chan and Souta helplessly watching Kagome cry her heart out. Then Mrs. Higurashi attentively neared Kagome with her hand and placed it on her daughter's shaky shoulder.

"Honey," she said gently and stroked Kagome's hair, "even…even if he is stuck in the past right now, he'll be okay."

Kagome straightened up, still gasping for air as she wiped her face with the back if her hand. Her tears had barely stopped as she opened her swollen eyes and looked at her mother. But she felt she would soon start weeping again as she looked in her mothers soft gently face.

"Now," said Mrs. Higurashi, "that's better. Please honey; don't beat yourself up like this."

"W-what do you mean?" Kagome tremulously asked.

"Well," said Souta, folding the temples of his reading glasses. He opened one of his downcast, closed eyes and began to say. "Kai's always been curious. I'm sure one way or another he would have found out about you and the well and he would have tried going sown himself. I'm pretty certain none of us could have kept him from the past forever. It was…unpreventable.

Kagome sadly stared onto her collapsed hands as Mrs. Higurashi stared at Souta.

"Hey, Dad!" she suddenly said.

Jii-chan was scuttling out of the kitchen and into another room.

"What – where are you going?" said Mrs. Higurashi after him.

"I just remembered something!" said Jii-chan without turning around and in the guest room. "I have to get it!"

"B-but, but," said Mrs. Higurashi concernedly, "what are you –?!"

"Don't worry ill be right back, Kira!" said Jii-chan and then vanished from sight.

"But dad--!" said Mrs. Higurashi, but stopped when she knew he couldn't hear or see her.

Mrs. Higurashi, Kagome and Souta all heard the door slam behind Jii-chan and were silent. Kagome had stopped crying and miserably kept her eyes down-cast. Mrs. Higurashi kept her hands on Kagome shoulder and looked at her sympathetically. Souta, holding his folded reading glasses, was the first to break the silence.

"Anyways, I think there was no way we could have forever kept it from him, he was bound to find out eventually." Said Souta, "Its not that he needed to know, it's that he wanted to. Kai was always curious about InuYasha I no, beyond curious. I don't even really know how he figured out what to ask Jii-chan."

"Father says he came up to him and asked about half-demons." Said Kira and then continued with a sigh, "and you know your Jii-chan. He couldn't resist on telling Kai the story about them and accidentally revealing more."

For the second time Kagome lifted her face with an avid expression, whispering, "But how did he find out about half-demons?"

Surprised expressions suddenly crossed Mrs. Higurashi's and Souta's faces. Souta, his elbow against the table and cupping his chin, said slowly, "… you don't think…when we were talking earlier that maybe…"

"Kai overheard?" Mrs. Higurashi finished and they all knew this was true.

"I…I can't believe it," said Kagome miserably. She could feel the tears in her eyes. "I can't believe this. How… could this have happened?"

"Kagome," said Mrs. Higurashi a bit nervously. She patted her daughter's hair and said gently, "We can't start blaming ourselves or crying, that will take us nowhere."

"Yeah…but" Souta stopped in mid-sentence and looked around at Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome's faces turned to him. Then he ran his hand over the top and back of his head, combing his fingers through his hair. The he said anxiously, "What I still don't get is how Kai could travel into the past when you can't?"

Mrs. Higurashi put her hand on the back of her neck, saying, "I don't quite know how either."

"The reason," said Souta, directing towards Kagome, "that you couldn't go back to the past was because your holy powers and the Shikon shard had been taken away from you. The reasons probably don't hold the same for Kai."

"What do you mean?" asked Kagome.

"Well," Souta began, "Why do you think Kai could go down the well when you couldn't and can't?"

"I don't know," said Kagome wearily.

"And," Souta continued, "couldn't InuYasha go down the well without any shards or holy powers?"

Kagome immediately straightened up and her eyes dilated.

"You don't think that's why Kai can go down the well?" Souta asked naturally.

"…n-no" said Kagome and ran her fingers through her hair, that answer had to be correct.

"And if he can go to the past," said Mrs. Higurashi, "He must be able to go back to the present."

"B-but, how do you know that he will?" said Kagome helplessly, "how can you assure yourselves that he'll know and come back here?"

"We have to."

Souta, Mrs. Higurashi and Kagome turned to see Jii-chan enter the kitchen. Before him he held what appeared to be and old manuscript. Sitting at the table, he dropped down the book with a cloud of dust and a hollow thud.

Souta nervously neared the book, putting on his glasses, and tentatively asking, "W-what is this Jii-chan?"

"Its and ancient tone." Jii-chan answered proudly and japed a finger at it, reciting, "I bought it yesterday at an antique store, it's a precious tone that has been passed down through traditions and legends of Japan, first written during the warring states era. Since then, more tales and truths have been written on its parchment pages."

"What's it supposed to do?" asked Mrs. Higurashi nervously.

Jii-chan cleaned his throat and said, "It will help us with our time-travel dilemma."

"How?" asked Kagome.

Jii-chan opened the cover. It seemed as if it hadn't been used for years as dust erupted from. Licking his thumb, Jii-chan began to turn the pages and stopped at a small, ink-written page labeled 'time-travel'.

"It talks about all kinds of time-travel." Said Jii-chan knowingly, "tunnels, fountains, urns, lakes, you name it!"

Kagome suddenly leaned over the table and caught the book in her hands, "Y-you mean," she said, staring at the pages, "this can tell us how to get into the past?"

"Exactly!" sad Jii-chan infomitably, "It used to be an old Higurashi treasure, I knew I saw it before! I just don't quite know how it got into and antique store…"

"Ne-never mind that, Dad!" said Mrs. Higurashi hastily, and then said quickly, "So, how do we get to the past?"

Jii-chan craned over to the book and began to run his finger down the script, mumbling the words as he passed them. Around him were Kagome and Souta, both avidly reading over Jii-chan's shoulder.

"It should have it somewhere…" Jii-chan muttered, still scanning the script.

"There!" said Souta, pointing ti a paragraph Jii-chan had not yet reached.

"AHAH!" Jii-chan exclaimed and began to read the paragraph out loud in the best mystic voice he could muster, "'Time Travel: and even when a living being travels to another dimension in time. Time-travel can only be done when a being passes through an enchanted or mystical passage, and when the mystical being is inanimate or no longer living. Passage of time-travel includes objects such as holes, looking glasses, shafts, wells, tunnels, cabinets, closets…"

"We know all of that stuff!" Kagome said hurriedly. "Just get to the part with how to time-travel"

Jii-chan scanned again down the script and then cleared his throat when he reached his desired destination, "the object used for time-travel must exist within a span of hundreds of years. Time-travel id only made possible when the object is used as passage by a mystical being of high power and sends the time-traveler into another time dimension."

Souta cupped his chin, saying, "Yeah, that would explain how InuYasha could traverse time between the past and present and probably how Kai can. Even if they don't show, Kai has demonic and shamon powers."

"But how does he have priest-like powers when mine were stolen from Naraku?" asked Kagome.

"Because, even if he stole his powers from you," said Souta, "he didn't steal then from the child impregnated within you. That's other mystical power Kai inherited."

"But how am **I **going to travel down the well?" said Kagome.

Jii-chan's eyes looked down at the script as he said, "The book says there are only two possibilities for time-travel."

Mrs. Higurashi looked at Jii-chan, saying, "You already told us the first one, but that won't help us in this strait. Tell us the second way, Dad."

Jii-chan cleared his throat and placed his finger on the ink script. Then he read aloud in deep tones, "'The second and last possibility for time-travel requires the object, in both time scenarios, to be contact with mystic beings. On one side of the time passage there must be a being of high mystic caliber and on the other side a being with any level of power. The more powerful being on the other side will allow passage through time for the lesser power being and bridge a traverse between times. This is the last possibility for time-travel where as…"

Jii-chan stopped, muttering, "the rest doesn't matter." Then he closed the book his eyes turned towards Kagome, "the last possibility is **your **last possibility for time-travel."

Mrs. Higurashi and Souta turned to Kagome, who was deep in thought. "But," she began, looking worried, "but it says the being on the other side must have some kind of powers and I don't have any. How can I travel across time?"

"That's where you're wrong." Said Jii-chan firmly.

"Jii-chan?" said Souta confusedly

"What do you mean, Dad?" asked Mrs. Higurashi.

Jii-chan sagaciously closed his eyes and said, "Kagome, you still have some of your powers."

"But…but, Naraku stole –" Kagome began but Jii-chan cut her off saying, "This Naraku only stole you powerful, priestess like powers. But he over looked your lesser but still thriving Higurashi family powers, which have been growing these past twelve years. You still have power, Kagome, a possibility to go back to the past exists."

Kagome's eyes widened immediately. She only started silently at Jii-chan for a moment with Mrs. Higurashi and Souta starring at her. Her mind raced, her heart rapidly beat, and she couldn't say anything.

Jii-chan closed his eyes with his hands clasped and said, "With your powers and ours you will be able to faintly detect strong mystical energy on the other side of the well. But only you can go to the past; it would exert to much energy for all of us to come. As soon as you sense the strong demonic energy you have to go down the well and into the past."

Jii-chan looked at Kagome, expecting her to say something, but instead she silently looked down.

"And," he continued, "It will be hard to tell what kind of being waits on the wells other side. You wont be sure if its and enemy or ally so you have to be careful you will have to find a way to survive and find Kai."

After this, Kagome put her head in her hands, her fingers scrunching her hair. Jii-chan said nothing more and without a sound or word Mrs. Higurashi left the kitchen, Souta starred with his chin in his palm looking ponderous and concerned. Then Kagome muttered something.

She lifted her head from her hands, her face suddenly determined Souta and Jii-chan looked at her as she said softly, "…it may be dangerous and I might be powerless…but that's why I have to get there. I have to get to the past to get my son; I can't stay here and do nothing but hope. He is my life…" Kagome, tears filling her sight, felt her eyes sting, "And I won't let him be taken from me."

"Good," said Mrs. Higurashi. She appeared from the doorway, holding a quiver of arrows and a red bow.

"These," she said, the quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder and the bow in her hands, "Are the weapons you had 15 years back. I think… they may come in handy."

Kagome only starred in awe, looking at her old archery weaponry. Her silence was broken as Jii-chan bowed his head and said finally:

"Then we can only wait. We can only wait for time to unfold."

"Only…a little further…to the east," Shizu whispered, gasping slightly.

"Okay," said Kai determinedly. "To the east Kirara."

Kirara roared softly in consent, flapped her tails and bounced on her paws and continued forward. It was now night as they road through the skies over the sea of land below. Everything was now dark; the blackening sky had painted the ground in dark tones. The flame emitting from Kirara's paws and tails was some of the only light besides the strong glow of the moon, a sharp crescent in the sky. Kai could barely see at this point for it had grown very dark but, undeterred, continued to guide Kirara on Shizu's commands.

After the demon's had been defeated, Shizu was very weak. The poison circulated though her, but she still insisted on bandaging oh Kirara's wounds. After spreading the ointment and wrapping the white cloth over Kirara's gash however, she had collapsed. Kai wasn't sure what he would have done or what would have happened to Shizu if she hadn't and antidotes with her. He shook his head, not wanting to thing about it. No, he wouldn't think about it. The sun had set after Kirara's wounds had been cleaned and covered and they had been in the sky for a little less then an hour now.

Kai, supporting the exhausted Shizu on his back and shoulders, held onto Kirara's main as they rode though the dark skies. The antidotes had barely contained the poison into the palm of Shizu's hand and they had made her both weak and weary. Her shin was set against Kai's shoulder and her chest against his back; Kai was relived to hear her breathing. But he wasn't sure how long she would last at this point.

Brush in the deep color of dark forest green appeared below them, only faintly visible by the light of the moon and Kirara's flame.

Kai didn't look down onto the brush; he didn't want to be reminded of what happened there. But no matter how many times he washed them with the water of Shizu's bamboo flask, the scent of blood would not leave his hands. Whenever he reminisced or even looked at his hands, he felt a flood of questions overwhelm him. He was filled of questions unanswered. Filled to the brim…but he wouldn't have the will to ask for answers. No, He hadn't the courage. He wanted to ask Shizu but as he looked down at his hands, he closed his eyes firmly shut. What kind of answers could he expect to receive?

Then he felt Shizu stir with life and then felt her breath grace his face. She breathed, her eyes gently closed, "I bet…your curious, aren't…you?"

Kai, a bit surprised, didn't answer immediately. Shizu didn't say anything either as she rested on his shoulder.

"What," he began softly, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," said Shizu in a low whisper, "In the brush…your curious aren't you…?"

Kai stared forward in disbelief. He was too stunned to answer.

Shizu, only cracking open one of her eyes, said, "Aren't you?"

Kai bit his lip for a minute and then said, "…I…I mean, I guess…"

Shizu smiled gently. "You are,"

"Well," said Kai, struggling. Then he couldn't resist any longer as he suddenly burst out, "what happened in the brush? Why did those demons attack us? What did you do to your hand? How did I kill those demons? And who is this InuYasha?"

Kai felt these questions tumble from his mouth and more pop inside his head. "Why is this happening to me?" He said his final question.

Shizu was silent for a moment as Kai turned his head over to her on his shoulder and said softly, "…I don't know why those demons attacked…or why there…was so many. I can…only guess. But my parents…my parents will know. As for…"

Shizu stirred and Kai felt her shoulder lift. Then she held before him her hand wrapped in a cloth and wound in turquoise beads. The tips of her fingers were dark as the poison spread through her.

"As for my hand…my hand has a…windtunnel," said Shizu solemnly.

"What…" said Kai, still staring at her poisoned hand, "What's a windtunnel?"

Shizu touched her hand gingerly, saying, "It's a…curse, this air void, the…the whole in…my hand. The bottomless chasm…will suck anything in its path it's a cursed past…down my line. My lech of a great-grandfather…got it from a demon called Naraku…when he cut it into his hand. This rosary" Shizu touched the cloth and beads wrapped around her hand, "is the only thing…that contains this destructive power. Soon this hell hole will consume me."

Shizu paused for a moment and withdrew her arm. Her gaze, still somniferous, became come of sudden anger. She began, her teeth cutting into her lower lip, "My father has one…more powerful then mine. But because…of that, his will…there is some consuming. Since Naraku has also gained power…the process…of the windtunnel's consumption…has sped up… as has…mine. My father says…and my mother…that the state of my windtunnel is that of…my fathers when he…was a young man. With Naraku…is not killed soon…my fathers and my windtunnel…will consume us."

Shizu stopped, her face twisted with anger and infuriation. Kai looked at her silently. He now took everything in and then a question popped into his head from a vaguely familiar name.

"Who…who is Naraku?" Kai asked.

"Who's Naraku?" said Shizu; she seemed to have snapped into reality.

"Yeah," said Kai, nodding.

He turned his forward, starring out onto the darkness before him as he said, "I herd my mother talk about whoever Naraku is to my Jii-chan, grandma and uncle. They don't like to talk about him much though. They never told me who he was and I never asked." Then Kai turned his profile to looked one eyed at Shizu. "Who is he?" he asked.

"…Wow," said Shizu after a while. "They didn't tell you anything about the past at all, did they?"

Kai looked down at his hands clasping Kirara's main. He shook his head half-heartedly as he felt his heart sink the truth of the comment was grippingly painful, filling Kai with emotions that depressingly crushed him. Had his family not trusted him enough to tell him about the past and what had happened? Didn't they trust him? Kai knew that at least his mother trusted him with anything, he knew it for sure. She trusted him with her life…didn't she?

'if she did though,' thought Kai, 'why had she lied to me about the past and the well?'

Shizu's breaths fanned Kai' face, shallow and rugged, and she said, "Naraku is an enigmatic demon. I don't know much about him myself, but I do know that he is not a full demon. He was born from the body of a dying man called Onigumo, a bandit human. Naraku was a rich and high hanyou, born from the thoughts and bodies of a foul bandit in demons. He killed the priestess, Lady Kikyo, the protector or Kaede's village and many others, human and demons." Shizu tightened her fists clasping the fabric of her clothing, her face contorted with rage and hate. Kai felt and heard her strange voice as she said in a quiet, deadly loathing hiss, "Naraku has greatly wronged my family. Not only did the wretch curse my line, but he killed my mothers' family and village people using her younger brother. Then they used his corpse as his puppet to meat his foul demands over and over again until he finally killed him. He has caused much pain for my family and now our world is slowly beginning to decay at his hands."

Then Shizu turned her head slightly to turn her deep brown eyes on his golden ones. She seemed to drill deep into him, penetrating his own thoughts with her unbreakable stare. Then she said, looking solemnly at Kai, "He has wronged your family too, Kai."

Kai turned his head sharply at Shizu, looking stunned. "What do you mean?" Kai tentatively asked.

Shizu closed her eyes softly and placed her arms around Kai's neck as she leaned against him. "Well," she said softly, "Naraku has caused much grief and pain in these lands, death and destruction. We are beginning to lose hope. Soon this world will die, as well the living creatures on it. 15 years ago though, this was not so."

"Then what happened?" Kai asked.

"15 years ago," she soon began in a somber voice, and the tale of the past began to tell itself in her words; "the Shikon jewel appeared in this time before Lady Kikyo died and took it with her in the afterlife. She had died fifty years before after the hanyou, InuYasha, tried to steal the jewel and had been sealed away by a mystical arrow into the Gishonboku."

Kai nodded; he knew this part from the old tales he had been told by his Jii-chan and mother.

"Well," said Shizu, Kai felt hi ears prick with her next sentence, "50 years after that Kikyo's incarnation, your mother, entered the past through the bone eaters well with the jewel in her body. After the Shikon Jewel appeared again in the past, the hanyou InuYasha was awakened from his 50 year slumber and freed from the Gishonboku. With the Jewel back in the past, demons and humans alike would come for it, with purposes good or bad. Except shortly after the Jewel appeared here, it was shattered by one of Kagome's holy arrows and into a million shards. The shards scattered across Japan, each containing a fragment of the jewels enormous power. And because she had broken the jewel, Kagome began to search with InuYasha for the jewel chards all over Japan, soon meeting along the way Shippo, Kirara, and my mother and father."

Shizu stopped for a moment, catching her breath which was still uneven and gasping. Then she continued;

"And then they met Naraku. Along their quest for the shards they had met many enemies and only rare few like Naraku. Naraku was also a half demon, like InuYasha, and sought to complete the Shikon Jewel to kill his human side remaining from the deal made between the time thief and the horde of demons and to become a half demon. Naraku was not only powerful, but he was also cunning and good create 'children' to do his dirty work. He loved to toy with human emotions like he did of my mothers using the corpse of her brother. In time…he retrieved most of the jewel shards and nearly completed the jewel. Using the almost complete jewel, he stole your mother's priestess powers and further his own by consuming them and tainting them with the jewel. Two years after this I was born. Soon demons appeared everywhere, born from Naraku and the tainted jewel. The world became hidden in death and destruction. Naraku had grown very powerful. The dark times began and the world began to decay." Then Shizu looked into Kai's face and said solemnly, "…this is where your family comes into place. Fearing for Kagome's and your safety, InuYasha sent your mother down the well and into the present without the jewel shard. Without it, she was trapped in the present and unable to return to the past."

Shizu stopped. Kai only looked at her silently and wide eyed. He couldn't respond as he looked at her.

"Cant you see it Kai?" said Shizu "its because Naraku nearly took her life that Kagome was sent down to the past and away from InuYasha…her love, the only one…and…your father."

At this moment Kirara landed on the ground. There stood in the thinning brush a small shrine-like hut, covered in Shimenwa and Ofuda over its wooden figure. Here was the home of Miroku and Sango.


	4. Chapter 3: Why I've Buried Away My Past

**Okay here is the next chapter of when bonds are broken, which I know I have been excited for, and sry for the wait, I have to re-type EVERYTHING so it is kinda hard for us to update quickly. sry again… but here is the next chapter!**

Chapter Three:

The wooden hut appeared fully beneath the waning moonlight. Kai looked at it, still numbly. His mind was racing. His heart was thudding. 'How much can an eight-year-olds head take before it explodes?!' he desperately thought. InuYasha…InuYasha…

Then Kai felt Shizu lift herself off him. He looked back at her and saw her body unnaturally shake and her chest quiver, deeply shuddering with each breath. With the tips of her toes Shizu reached the ground. Kai quickly leapt off Kirara, just in time as Shizu reached the ground and collapsed. She fell onto Kai's back as he reached for her. He felt her quivering body and her trembling breath. She was too weak to support herself. Her legs couldn't support her as she lay against Kai, her arms draping his shoulders. Kai could feel her sweat pool beneath her chin and onto the cloth of his shoulder.

"Shizu…" Kai worriedly whispered.

"Da…Da-Damnit," she gasped. She seemed to have used all her strength talking to Kai on Kirara and heaving herself off of her, "My body's too weak."

Shizu clasped her hands with her arms hung over Kai's shoulders. Kai saw that the poison had reached the uncovered part of her elbow, tainting the skin in a dark color, like that of drying blood.

Then his heart skipped a beat as he jumped. The hut door had suddenly slammed open, sending an echoing clack through the night air. Kais head whipped up from Shizu's arm to face the entrance of the hut. A woman stood there, looking straight at Shizu and Kai. She was beautiful, looking the same age as Kagome or at the most a year older. Her hair was dark brown and nearly black and streaked in brown umber strands highlighted by the glow of the moon as it fell past her waist. She wore a Yukata with a Katana hanging from its sash. Her red-lined eyes fell and her crimson lips fell apart with her opening mouth. She looked remarkably like and older Shizu.

"Shizu…" the woman gasped and, in a flurry of fluttering robes rushed over to her and Kai.

Kai felt his legs collapse under his and Shizu's weight and he fell to the ground on his knees. He hadn't realized how exhausted he really was. Kirara transformed back into her smaller form in a burst of flame, running over to the woman and twisting around her ankle. She gently meowed as she leapt up to her shoulder and curled into a ball.

The woman approached Shizu and Kai and knelt down at the child's side. Her expression of worry only increased as she heard Shizu's tremulous breath and watched her closed eyes and quivering body. Then her eyes dilated as she saw her arm around Kai's neck, poison circulating from the wind tunnel. She looked numbly for a moment at the deeply colored flesh and then whipped her head towards the house, calling out, "Miroku!"

As she turned her gaze to the unconscious Shizu, she caught Kai's eye. She seemed to have barely noticed him before, but now she looked at him avidly. Kai nervously looked back at her and felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of his face. The pressure if the woman's gaze crushed him.

Then her hand reached out to him. Kai instructively leapt back, his heels crushing against the ground beneath his and Shizu's weight. But the woman's hand was too fast and she placed her palm and fingers against Kai's chest. Kai couldn't move out of fear as she neared him, her hand over his heart and her eyes curiously scanning him.

"Who…" she said softly, her voice ringing though Kai's ears, "who are y—"

"What's wrong, Sango?"

A man approached from the hut now, walking towards the woman, Shizu and Kai. He wore a bright yellow robe over the barely visible one beneath it. He had dark tousled hair; the short ponytail he once owned was cut and golden rings hung from his ears. He looked but a bit older then the woman by Kai, but deep and long concern had etched his features.

'Who are these people?' Kai frantically wondered, supporting Shizu against his back.

"It's Shizuko," said the woman worriedly, looking at the man, "she's hurt. And I think she used the Wind Tunnel."

The man leaned over Kai and Shizu and touched Shizu's arms. Slowly, he lifted Shizu's arm off of Kai's shoulders and laid her on his lap of bright fabric. He placed his hand on her sweaty forehead and carefully cradled her in his arms.

"She tool in some poison." He said, holding Shizu in his arms and saying, "She had better be placed inside. I'll get some medicine."

"N-no ill get it." Said the woman, hurriedly getting up.

Kai watched motionlessly as the man walked into the house with Shizu and the woman got up. He was too scared to speak and to nervous to move. He was lost. As the man entered the opened door of the house, the woman began to follow him. Then she stopped as she had risen from the ground and, to Kai's fear, turned her head to look at him.

Kai scuttled back and the woman saw his scarred and bewildered face. Before he knew it, Kai's wrist was being held on the woman's hand as she gently looked at him.

"It's okay," she said and lifted him from the ground, softly smiling. "I saw u support Shizu as you flew here. Kirara would not let you ride her or approach her owners if she did not trust you. There is nothing to be afraid of."

Kai looked apprehensively at this woman. Her words had soothed some of his fears, but he still couldn't suppress his confusion and nervousness. Still smiling to gently at him, the woman led Kai onto the wooden porch and into the small house. Tatomi mats created the floor, where in the center a small table stood with a lit candle. Urns and pots surrounded the wooden walls and moonlight bled through the uncovered windows. It looked like a village home during the Japanese feudal era.

As soon as the entered the room, the woman hurried over to a small box in the corner of the room. Kai scanned the place and saw Shizu lying on a blanket, the man leaning over her as he placed a damp rag on her brow.

"Shizu!" Kai exclaimed as he saw her.

"She will be fine," said the man, holding the wet cloth as Kai fell to the ground by the door. The man looked at Kai with a slightly surprised and curious expression. But before he could say anything, the woman approached.

"Here is the medicine," said the woman as she came over. Kai recognized, to his surprise, the box she held in her outstretched palm. It appeared to be recent day medicine.

"C'mon Shizu," said the woman and placed two small pills into her mouth through a part of her lips. Shizu's expression became strained and her lips closed as she struggled with the medicine inside her mouth.

"Come on," said the woman, placing her fingers on Shizu's lips. For a moment, Shizu only strained with the pills and then her brow furrowing and eyes tightening, swallowed. As soon as she swallowed, Shizu's mouth slightly opened, her breathing began to even and he expression becoming that of slumber.

The woman placed her hand on Shizu's untightened brow and, with a sigh of relief, said, "Her fevers dramatically dropped."

"And," said the man, his eyes closed, "she's beginning to awaken." As Kai herd this, he almost rose and rushed over to Shizu's side…but he didn't, he couldn't; he was to…afraid.

Shizu gently stirred, he body moving over the cloth underneath her. She didn't make a sound as her head turned over her fanned out hair. Kai watched her struggle as Kirara clambered onto him shoulder and curled around his neck beneath his shaggy hair. She gently meowed as she rubbed the side of her face against his, as if nudging him forward.

Then one of Shizu's eyes opened slightly, only enough to reveal a slit. Then another cracked open and she looked sleepily into the faces of the woman and man.

"Kai…" she whispered, turning to the door "what's…"

As she said these fain words, the woman's eyes widened and her dark irises shrunk, stunned. She immediately got up from her knees. A brief spark of surprise and astonishment flickered over the mans face and his eyes flew open. The woman slowly turned to face Kai by the closed door. Her face was full of astonishment…and reminiscence. Shizu's somniferous expression took that of surprise at these peoples reactions.

"I knew you looked familiar. You look like her…and like him. Are you…" the woman took a step forward, looking at Kai, "…are you Kai Higurashi?"

Kai nervously nodded.

In a moment the woman's face lit with memory, Kai found himself in her arms. Kai starred avidly at the Yukata clad shoulder comforting his face, too surprised to say anything. He only felt the woman hold him to her chest with her lips pressed against him hair.

"I knew it," she breathed like Shizu had said before. Kai felt the woman's motherly touch and natural embrace. He felt like crying for his mother. He wanted to feel her touch, her embrace. He wanted to be with her again, safe and at home, not afraid in the past or confused or in danger.

"I knew it," the woman said again, bringing Kai out of his daze. Then she released Kai, her arms clasping her shoulders as she smiled at him. She reminded Kai of his mother.

"You're him," she said softly, gently smiling, "You're the son…InuYasha and Kagome's."

Back in the present, night had fallen as well. All lights on Higurashi property had been extinguished except for the light in Kai's room. The room that had once been Sota's and shared with him until he went to collage, and a light faintly glowing from the mini-shrine.

"Are you sure you want to stay there all night, honey?" Mrs. Higurashi had asked earlier.

"Yeah, ill be fine," said Kagome.

Now Kagome sat in the mini-shrine. She lay on her unfurled sleeping bag by the stars going down to the well, a small candle by her side and a flashlight tucked in her bag. 'It's not too late,' she thought, looking at the watch ticking on her wrist.

Kagome collapsed on her sleeping bag, her head bouncing on her pillow. Her bow and quiver of arrows were propped up against the corner of the well by her sleeping bag, ready for use. As Kagome looked at them, she felt her memories of the past come back to her. Her past down the well, everything about it brought back memories; some memories she dearly missed and others she wanted only to forget. But even today she cherished those memories.

'I wonder,' Kagome thought vaguely, '…how Kai's doing right now'

"Hey Kagome,"

Kagome whipped around to see someone standing at the entrance of the mini-shrine. Sota stood there with a pencil sticking out from behind his ear and his glasses hanging, folded into his collar. He was holding a tray carrying two bowls from which some steam visibly rose and a plate.

"Mom told me to bring you some dinner," he said as he entered the shrine and, sitting down by Kagome, asked, "mind if I join you?"

"Not at all" Kagome said smiling, and moved over to give Sota a place to sit.

Sota placed the tray down between him and his sister and he sat down, "Thanks" he said sitting down.

Kagome looked at him for a moment and then cast her eyes down, smiling softly, and saying, "I should be the one telling you that."

Sota began to hand out the bowls of Oden, one to his sister and one to himself as he left the peach buns on the wide plate. The candle light flickered as Kagome looked down at her bowl of food and, sticking her chop sticks in her Oden, began to eat.

"I thought you would be hungry," said Sota, holding his bowl in his lap. "You've been sobbing for hours."

Kagome said nothing as she ravenously chewed her food. Sota was right; all her weeping had exhausted her and she was famished. She felt grateful her mother had sent Sota out here to give her some dinner; at least now she had someone to talk to as she dined.

Sota began to eat as he sat cross-legged, leaning against the wall, when Kagome began to pick the scraps left from her bowl. She felt starved, picking up a peach bun and sinking her teeth into it. Sota watched her, his expression displaying amusement at his sister's great hunger.

"Um…Sota?" said Kagome, swallowing her chunk of food in her mouth.

"Yeah?" said Sota.

Kagome turned the peach bun in her hands for a moment and then slowly asked, "do you…do you think it was inevitable Kai would discover the truth about the well?"

Sota looked at her for a moment as she stared at him questioningly. Then he swallowed his mouthful, saying, "…well, I don't think we could've hidden it from him forever. Kai's a smart kid and he often finds out things he shouldn't."

Kagome smiled at her brother's last comment as she turned her peach bun in her lap.

"And," Sota continued, "…I think he's soon figure it out and that it had some connection to the father he never knew. Kai's an interesting kid…well; I think that's mostly because he's yours after all."

"And that's a compliment, right?" said Kagome smiling.

"Of course it is," said Sota teasingly, "why would I insult my dear sister?"

Kagome put her palm on the top of her brothers head and ruffled his hair, ignoring his moaning, "Ouch, ouch, OWWWW!!"

After ruffling his hair for a while, Kagome lifted her hand from Sota's head and hugged her knees to her chest. Sota sat, holding the top of his head in fear of any more attacks.

"Hey, Sota…" said Kagome, not facing her teary-eyed brother. "I…um…I really appreciate you staying with me."

Then Kagome turned around, smiling at him. "Thanks," she said.

For a moment Sota only stared at her oddly and then said, to Kagome's surprise, leaned back and said, "…you are really worried about him, aren't you?"

Kagome only looked at him, not answering.

Sota placed his bowl on the floor and lay his back against the ground with his arms crossed beneath his head. "Well, don't worry too much about him, Kagome. I know he may be in the past filled with bandits and demons, but among the enemies are allies. I'm almost certain he's okay."

Sota stopped and looked at his sister, whose back was turned to him. As Kagome held her legs and placed her chin in her kneed, she sighed so softly she couldn't be herd and said, "…I know there are friends in the past, but…I don't know maybe it's because I am his mother, but I just can't stop worrying about him. I just don't know…I don't know."

Sota looked at his sister ponderingly and then Kagome deeply exhaled, continuing, "…I don't know what I am trying to protect him from…but its not just demons and bandits."

"Then what is it?" asked Sota, getting up. But he knew the answer and he wasn't answering himself: he was answering his sister.

Kagome didn't look at Sota as she opened her mouth and she knew it wasn't him she was answering. She knew, somewhere hidden deep in her heart who she was answering, somewhere where she couldn't search of feel for the answer without that somewhere breaking into pieces, that breaking piece of her heart.

"Even if there are demons and bandits and bad men who will hurt him, I don't think that's what I am trying to hide. I don't…"

Kagome's hands appeared before her, the peach bun strewn across the floor, and soon tear drops flecked them, "I don't know anymore. I don't know why I've hidden my past from Kai…his past. I've…I've buried those fifteen years of my past away because…I don't want my past."

Soon Kagome found tears streaming down her face and pooling in her open hands. She felt her sobs choke her and the tears uncontrollably flow, falling into her palms…streaking her face.

Sota could see her shaky shoulders but said and did nothing but watch his sister begin to cry.

Kagome struggled through her sudden sobs on attempt to speak, not even realizing why she was crying, 'I'm…I'm so pathetic." She thought as she cried.

She hugged herself, saying tremulously, "I don't…even know why I'm crying, maybe I'm just over-emotional. But I've been crying ever since I couldn't go to the past, ever since InuYasha took the jewel and trapped me in the pre-present, ever si-since then. I- I can't admit it to Kai… when he asked about his daddy; I never knew what to say. I don't kn-know anymore."

Kagome began to sob, her back hunched as she held herself. "He bro-broke my heart," Kagome helplessly cried, "…he ne-never came back to ge-get me."

Kagome felt Sota beside her and his hand fall onto her quaking shoulder, but she couldn't lift her tearstained face to look at him or even say anything though her chocking sobs. She only continued to cry.

"That's why you buried your past from him?" Said Sota, his voice not gently nor firm.

Kagome struggled to try and answer him, endeavoring to even her jagged breaths and bridle her tears. "I…I guess because, I didn't want him to get hurt," she managed to say faintly, "or I didn't want to get wounded again."

Sota didn't say anything and let Kagome vigorously wipe her eyes on the back of her hand and mop her tear stained face, "I guess," said Kagome to Sota's surprise, "I'm pretty selfish, huh?"

Sota looked at her and then said, "…no, I don't think so. I've seen you beat yourself up for years and cry your heart out, trapped in this time."

Then Sota held up Kagome's half eaten Peach bun, saying gently, "do you see how happy your son's been all these years with you as his mother? I dont think he thinks anything bad about you. I bet he's missing you right now. But he won't give up, he'll be fine."

Sota dropped the peach bun in Kagome's hands as tears still flowed down her face. "He's just as stubborn as his mother." Sota said and was silent.

Kagome looked at her brother's face and numbly felt tears stream down hers, hard and continuously. Silently, she placed the peach bun near her lips and cried.

"Eat," said Sota, gently but forcefully still, "you'll need your strength."

Kagome tremulously opened her mouth and but into the soft bun. She continued to cry as she chewed on her food, feeling her tears streaked face. As she tore the plump, soft peach bun with her teeth, she felt Sota get up and left his hand of her shoulder.

"Good luck, Kagome," he said as he stepped mid-way out of the shrine. Then he left back to the house through the darkness. Kagome watched him leave as she tried to wipe away her tears and stifle her sobs, miserably.

Then though the darkness Sota said one last thing: "I hope can help you recover it. **Your past**."

Kagome couldn't see Sota anymore as he vanished by the house and he said nothing more. She turned back to the stair descending to the well, saying to herself, "…I don't know Sota. I… just dont know."

And she collapsed onto her sleeping bag, her hair splaying around her and her eyes closed in the silence of the night, whispering one last word:

"InuYasha…"

"You're him…your InuYasha and Kagome's son."

This statement ran thought Kai's ears and he felt his mind race again. This woman…did she --?

"You…you know my mom?" said Kai numbly.

"I knew it." Said Shizu, looking at Kai. She tries to straighten up, but as she got halfway seated she began to cough and her chest felt as if it were being pierced by a blade; and Shizu collapsed back onto the floor.

As she clutched her chest, the man beside her touched her hand and said, "You shouldn't move right now, Shizu. We've given you and antidote but the poison still remains from you Wind Tunnel. You must lie down."

Shizu looked at the man for a moment, still breathing hard, and then lifted her tremulous hand before her. "Damn," she muttered and dropped her rosary-clad hand on her stomach as she lay.

The woman looked at Shizu for a moment as she lay frustratedly and then turned to face Kai again.

"Come wit us," she said, clasping Kai's wrist and turning to face him as she looked forward, "and ill tell you."

Kai couldn't even reply as the woman hurriedly pulled him forward, the dress of her Yukata tumbling in folds as her legs swiftly moved. As they reached he man and Shizu, the woman seated Kai and walked herself over to a door at the end of the room.

"Come, Shippo!" she called out into the open door, "we have a visitor."

As she said this, the woman backed away from the door and Kai could hear taint footsteps. They were light and small, like that of a fox or raccoon and Kai had to try his hardest to make them out. Then they became clear as what looked like a boy leapt through the door.

He had wild tawny hair tied into a pony tail that dipped down to his shoulders as t burst from its ribbon. He looked older then Shizu and taller then her but not by much as he looked at the woman with his short slit-like brown eyes. Like he man, woman, and Shizu he wore a traditional Japanese outfit with what appeared to be a vest of pale-golden fur pulled to his waste where it was tied down with a sash. He appeared to be a young boy…except for some of his inhuman characteristics. Kai noticed his ears tapered beneath the thin licks of hair polled behind them and his hands were unusually small. But what he first took into notice was the furry tail behind his robe-clad figure and his small feet, bare and like a foxes. Could this boy be human?

As the boy looked around, his eyes suddenly stopped in Kai, Kai flinched; ever since he had gone through the well he had been intently stared at. The boy looked at his avidly, as if he believed he were a figure in a dream and his eyes widened.

"Y-you…" he said, still staring avidly, "you look like Kagome."

The woman touched the boys shoulder and said, "…we have much to say and ask. Come, its time to recount the past."

The boy didn't seem to have herd and with the slightest sound, leapt in front of Kai. Kai immediately fell back as the boy appeared in front of him and his face inched closer and closer to his, his eyes wide with life and reminiscence.

"Who are you? What are you doing here? Do you know Kagome? How did you get here? Is Kagome with you? Is she, is that why you are back? How did y—"

"Shippo" said the man gently, holding the young boy back and allowing Kai to get up from the floor. "I know you're excited, but we can't overwhelm the boy with questions like this. Sit and we will talk."

"But --? Said the young boy, looking at the man determinately, "but Miroku, he has to know her. He looks and smells like h –"

"He does… know her," said Shizu through deep breaths, struggling to rise, "…but he…doesn't know about…us or…this place."

The woman's face suddenly displayed that of surprise; the man's face flickered with life and the young boy looked in stunning disbelief. He turned from Kai to Shizu and said, bewildered, "w-what do you mean?"

Shizu placed her hand on the ground and heaved her upper body half way so that she leaned against the wall. Kai could hear her strained breathing as she began to speak.

"I mean," said Shizu, her eyes closed and her face weary, "he knows…nothing of the past… or about us or…Kagome's past."

Now it wasn't only the boy who looked in stunning disbelief, but the man and woman as well.

The woman turned to face Kai, saying, "Y-you mean… she's told you nothing? About her past…about anything?"

Kai nervously shook his head and said, "…I only know about the past from what Shizu's told me."

From the midst of the room Shizu leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as her breathing deepened. The woman fell on her knees to the floor, still looking stunned and the young boy merely stood and stared at Kai.

Kai only timidly looked at them. Why did he feel as if a wave crested and crashed against him, throwing him into a surging ocean, breaking his breath at the shock of ice water, and stealing his life as he hit the bottom of the endless sea of cold realization…and betrayal?

Why could the one moment he felt like crying out not reach his breath?

Kai could only look numbly as he felt the silence upon him.

The young, tawny-haired boy silently stared down at the floor. His body stiffened and his face tightened as did his small fists.

As the woman fell to the ground, the man rose and placed a hand on her shoulder.

But here eyes did not left from the floor to see him and his did not open.

"You mean," she said, looking at Kai, "you mean she told you nothing?"

Kai nervously and soundlessly nodded.

From the silence, Shizu said softly, "that's…why I took him…here. I thought…you both could…explain."

"Then," said the man, opening his soft, deep-brown eyes, "we shall start."

"But Miroku, how can this be?" said the young boy, turning away from Kai, "how can he not know about any of the past? How could Kagome not have told him?"

The young boy stabbed his foot into the tatomi matted floor, saying loudly, "It doesn't make sense! How is it he knows nothing…nothing about this time?"

"Why he does or doesn't, I don't know Shippo," said the man serenely, "but if he doesn't, now we shall explain."

But the boy didn't listen and he stomped over to the wall. "But…but, it just doesn't make sense. This cant be true!"

"It is, Shippo" said Shizu weakly and continued with all the force she could arouse, "Whether you like it or not…its true. He knew…nothing of her past…until I told him."

"But why wouldn't she tell him?" said the boy, "why wouldn't she tell him about this, all of this, this past? How and I expected to believe she forgot everything?"

"You are not expected to believe she forgot, but…rather that she wouldn't say," Said the man beside the woman.

But the boys outburst didn't stop, "But why wouldn't she say?" he said, not to Kai, not to Shizu, not to anybody in the room rather then himself, "why wouldn't she say? Why wouldn't she say about this time or about us? Why wouldn't she? Why…wouldn't she?"

"Shippo," said Shizu softly and her words barely left her lips in whispers, "I know it…it's hard to believe…but it's true. Kai…knew nothing of Kagome's past…or…about anything…"

"But---" the boy started, "but—"

But a soft feminine voice cut into the boy's words and the woman looked at him, saying, "It is hard to believe Shippo…but you have no other option. I believe Shizu…and I believe Kai even if I don't want to."

As she said these words, the woman's gaze turned from the boy's and, with the next sentence, it did not pierce Shizu or the man, but Kai, "And there is one reason I know why Kagome would leave the past untold…"

And the word his Kai's ears with a reminiscence he could not explain or put into words…but he knew he already knew this word…the scent…this name: "InuYasha"

Kai could numbly feel the woman's gaze impale him like a blade of memory; the man wisely closed his eyes, the young boys eyes widen as the word struck him. Causing him to fall to his knees on the ground, and Shizu bewilderment like his own.

The woman knelt by him as she rose from he ground and said softly, touching him gently, "Come, Shippo…its time to tell Kai about the past. Maybe…not only him but…well all get some answers."

When the boy said nothing, the woman continued, saying, "Please…he _is _Kagome's son."

She ended and drew back a bit, as if allowing the boy to recoil. For a moment he was only silent, his thick bangs hiding his eyes from sight. Then, straightening up, the boy swiftly swept back of his hand before his eyes widened and looked forward firmly without a word. He seemed to have drawn himself back together as he silently sat.

"Now," said the man after a while and he looked at Kai, "It is time we explain."

The robe clad monk wrapped his arm around the woman's shoulder and began:

"I am Miroku and the beautiful lady beside me is Sango. If she has not told you, we are the parents of the young woman Shizuko."

And then the monk, Miroku placed a hand gesturing over to the young boy, "And the young Kistune you saw and herd prior is called by the name of Shippo."

As a moment of timed silence passed, the young hanyou managed to stammer,

"I-I'm…Kai Hi-Higurashi."

"Then you are her son?" said the young boy, Shippo, "Kagome's?"

Kai could barely nod as he slowly bobbled his dark head.

Then Shizu began to speak, her breath reaching normality and her words unfaltering as the antidote nullified the poison coursing through her.

"I found Kai when I was slaying demons in…Kaede's village. We were by the bone eaters well and the demons attacked Kai and myself…and I killed them. That was when I began to talk to him."

"He said he came from the well and I could tell he was from…the time beyond the well. That's why his clothes were strange…and he said his name was 'Kai Higurashi' I told him a bit…about this time, that you all knew Kagome, and myself. Then we came over the brush and demons attacked Kirara. Kirara, Kai and I fell into the brush surrounded by a hoard of demons. They're were tons of them and when you killed a couple, more charged in their wake, and Kirara was injured, Kai was unable to fight. I killed most of them with my Maga Ttaha… but their were too many and they just kept coming. Soul-skimmers, oni, ogers…there were so much. I was getting exhausted and, my body weak, but I still…tried to fight. But then…"

Straggling, Shizu strained her face and tugged at the cloth on her shoulders. Still grimacing with pain, Shizu managed to pull down her Eri and let it slide past her collar and to her arms.

Sango's eyes widened as she saw the deep gashes on her shoulders poorly wrapped with a gauzy layer of damp fabric through which the deep liquid bled through. The blood had dried around the gash but the wound was still grotesquely fresh. Kai could see with a sickening plunge in his stomach where the teeth had torn at Shizu's flesh.

Shizu looked at the gash and continued with a bitter smile, "…I got injured. The soul-skimmer came at me and sunk their fangs into my shoulders. I couldn't fight anymore. The blood wouldn't stop/ I collapsed both weak and injured so…"

"That's why your Wind Tunnel's coursing with poison?" said Miroku and he looked suddenly somber.

"But I had no choice!" said Shizu as she caught the serious look on her fathers and deeply concerned look on her mothers face, "Kai couldn't fight, Kirara was injured and so was I. The demons would have killed us, if I hadn't…used it. So I unwrapped the rosary and unleashed the Wind Tunnel. I sucked in almost all of the demons when the poison incapacitated me…"

"Shizu," Said Sango, her face showing deep worry, "you should know by now that using the Air Void in your palm is forbidden, your father and I have told you enough times."

"But I had to, I had no choice or we would have been killed!" Shizu weakly exclaimed and the outburst caused her chest to hurt and her breath to suddenly erupt in gasps.

Shizu clasped her chest and hunched forward, her face and inch from the floor and her hair fanning it. She could feel each inhale and exhaling breath burn her lings.

By her side appeared Miroku holding her shoulder.

"Albeit the fact, your Wind Tunnel is forbidden from use. It has and will always be. You know its consequences, the poison consumed by it now circulating through you."

Shizu said nothing when Miroku said no more. She managed to straighten up and, glaring at her rosary covered hand, looked at her fathers face."

"…yes, I know I was poisoned, but there was nothing else I could do," said Shizu, looking desperately at him. "You would have used yours as well…I know you would."

For a moment Miroku pondered in silence and then, stroking hid daughters hair, said gently, "…indeed I would have but that does not mean you should or sall. Using the Wind Tunnel puts you in jeopardy and is forbidden."

"Yes," said Shizu, her spirits a bit raised. "But after I used the Wind Tunnel, few demons remained. I couldn't fight any longer, collapsed and weakened, but the remnants of the hoard still attacked."

Then Shizu turned to Kai smiling, "The Kai used his talons, reducing them to ribbons. They collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood as lifeless flesh." Then Shizu spoke again, this time addressing Kai, "If it weren't for you we would have died. I owe you my life…thank you."

Kai only looked back at her. He didn't know what he could have said, except meekly, "…there's no reason…to thank me,"

Shizu looked at him for a moment in surprise and then gently smiled.

Then Shippo said, "You mean, **you **killed the demons without any experience fighting?!"

As Kai herd these words, he knew he had some question without an answer. He still couldn't convince himself that the blood that roiled within him, the talons on his hands, the feeling of swiping the demon's flesh, and the crimson tears that stained him…were real.

That wasn't a dream, yet it wasn't his world, his time, his home, or his family.

…Then why did it feel so reminiscent…and so familiar?

"I…d-don't really know," he answered quietly.

"But you did kill them, I saw you," said Shizu determinedly, "you had the strength of a demon."

"Yeah…but I don't e-even know how I killed them," said Kai honestly. He didn't know why, but tears welled in his eyes. Furiously, Kai rubbed his sleeve over his eyes, not even realizing why he was crying so much.

He remembered when he attacked the demons. Without thinking about himself or regarding his own strength, Kai leapt at them with only his bare hands and something in his blood guided him forward.

"It was InuYasha's blood," said Shizu, holding her knees to herself, "I know, it was…the blood of the father you never knew."


	5. Chapter 4: A New Dawn, A New Beginning

**Okay here is the next chappy of WHEN BONDS ARE BROKEN!! Sorry it took so long we have to write everything on paper then RETYPE it on the computer so it take a while, sorry! But here is the next chapter!!!**

Chapter 4: A New Dawn, A New Beginning

_"The blood of the father you never knew."_

_…_

_"It's your father's blood showing through you."_

_…_

_"He still doesn't know the man who is his father."_

_…_

_"I knew it…you're him…"_

_…_

_**"InuYasha and Kagome's son"**_

"Inu…Yasha…?"

Kai could feel his body suddenly burn.

Shizu observed him for a moment and then said softly, "…you really don't know…do you?"

Kai could vaguely recall his discussion with Shizu atop as they flew over the land and brush. He could barely hear tremulous whispers when she lay against him and spoke in the nearly light-less night.

_"Cant you se It, Kai? Its because Naraku nearly took her life that Kagome was sent out of the past and away from InuYasha…her love, the only one…and your father."_

"Then Kagome did not tell you of that fragment of her past either, did she?" said Miroku observantly.

Miroku merely looked at Kai beside Shizu, who watched him concernedly and curiously,

Kai didn't answer. His thoughts were numb, his mind and body insensible. He didn't even understand why his heart beat so rapidly and deeply, why his blood burned, and why his numbness overwhelmed him.

Why couldn't he answer?

But Miroku slowly nodded as if he understood some unknown reply and said mildly, "Then you don't know your own blood…the one that courses through your veins."

"Wha…what do…you mean?" Kai numbly asked his own voice faint.

Then, before Kai had time to react, Shippo leapt at him and lunged at his face with his hands. As he sent Kai to the floor beneath his weight, he caught two locks of hair in his hands by the sides of his face.

"I knew it!" said Shippo still on top of Kai.

"Wha… What are you--" Kai stammered frantically, unable to move as Shippo pinned him to the floor.

"Your ears," said Shippo and pulled back on Kai's dark hair. Beneath the tresses were hidden ears, barely fur rimmed, tapered and pointed like Shippo's.

"Shippo," Said Shizu from the corner of the room, "You'd better get off him…or Kai might suffocate, even under **your **weight."

Shippo, still starring at Kai, released his hair and leapt off of him, landing lightly on the floor. Kai straightened up from the floor, regaining his breath and patting his ears, looking a bit frightened.

"What was that for?" Shizu asked crawling over to Shippo and Kai.

Shippo turned his head over to look at Shizu, saying, "I knew it…his ears are tapered beneath his hair."

"They are?" said Shizu staring at Kai.

"Yeah, look!" said Shippo and in a swift and invisible movement, tugged back the two framing locks of Kai's hair to reveal his pointed ears, only barely fringed at the tips with whitening greyish fur.

Shizu's eyes widened as she saw then and she said, "ooo, can I see that?" and, ignoring Kai's timid looks, reached out and grabbed the tips of his ears.

Kai felt numbness, insensibility, and a _pwik _of surprise. As Shizu touched his ears, a shiver jolted him and Shizu caught the expression on his face.

"Oh…um, sorry." She said and let go of Kai, sitting back.

"At least their not white and furry," said Shippo, refraining a grin, "well, not completely. Those attract a lot of hands."

Kai didn't answer, forcing himself not to clap his hands over his ears in fear of being tugged and looked timidly.

Then Sango as she said mildly, saying, "…Kai…didn't you ever wonder why you have those tapered ears of golden eyes? Don't you?"

Kai nervously responded as he tremulously nodded and said with hesitation, "…I… wonder sometimes." And then he felt numbness creep back over him, obscuring his thoughts and words. His grandmother had said this before, when his mother, uncle and she were talking. Before he left. Before he went down the well. Before he entered the past.

Before he knew anything from his world.

And then Sango continued as she sat on her folded legs, "Why your eyes are gold…why your ears are pointed…and how you killed those demons before, you don't know the answers, do you?"

Kai heard these questions, piercing his mind and thoughts, but he didn't answer. Sango, though, could read his reply.

"Well," she said, and the tale began, "In the time and place of Japan there exist humans…and demons. For centuries, demons and humans have fought, killing and shedding the blood of one another. Deep enmity exists between the two kinds that have thrived throughout time.

"But within the deep hate and hostility, there exists alliances and peaceful co-existence, and through those very unions between mortal and demon are born half-demons. Hanyou's have been flourishing through the times of love and hate, between humans and demons, with the strength and characteristics of both."

Kai could numbly feel himself nod as he remembered only faintly his conversation with Jii-chan hours prior.

"In these times of war and battle, few hanyou exist and are shunned from worlds both, human and demon. There are barely any left, especially since more demons have come into being and continue to widen the rift between kinds. But hanyou do still exist, they still live and thrive, one by the name of InuYasha."

InuYasha…and his tale Kai knew, only vaguely in his memories.

The tale of a hanyou who sought power in a sacred jewel guarded by the village priestess, Kikyo, whose friendship was broken when both were deceived by a demon to betray one another. Kikyo died after she shot InuYasha into the Gishonboku, sealing him in eternal slumber to last through the end of time.

Until fifty years after Kikyo's death and the jewels disappearance from the past, Kagome entered the feudal era through the well with the Shikon No Tama, and InuYasha's seal was lifted.

InuYasha was awaken and freed from the Gishonboku, and the Shikon Jewel was shattered. When the shards scattered, InuYasha and Kagome began their journey in search for the Jewel's fragments, encountering allies and enemies along the quest.

"InuYasha," said Sango, continuing the tale, "was a dog demon, a powerful hanyou…" then Sango stopped and looked at Kai. The tale that unfurled itself in his memories, spun from the fragments of this discussion between his family he had overheard, from the few words he had heard earlier and Shizu's story stopped.

Kai could hear his heart thudding madly and feel it race beneath his chest as the tales threads spun to the end. The end of his memory, the end of her words, the end of their discussion in private.

And the end of the shadow pulled over the man he never knew, the silhouette set against him for nine years,

Miroku, Sango, Shizu and Shippo could all see the expression unfold over Kai's face. An expression of numb realization, only showing wide shock. A buffet of sudden reality.

Realization.

_"Cant you see it, Kai? Its because Naraku nearly took her life that Kagome was sent out of the past and away from InuYasha…_

_"…Her love…_

_"…the only one…_

_"…and…"_

Kai hadn't realized what he herd before, why the whispering words did not reach his conscious and barely touched ears. Why hadn't he realized the few words atop Kirara, beneath the darkened sky?

Maybe it was because bewilderment and exhaustion...or maybe it was because he knew already, but he didn't want to. It was as if a feild of vision had abruptly opened itself before him.

His father was alive.

He was a half-demon from 500 years into the past.

His mother had entered that past and fell in love with him.

And he had been born and lived in the present.

He himself had demon blood and he was now in the past.

Kia didn't say anything, he didn't fell anything except numbness. He couldn't tell whether he was sitting or standing, whether he was breathing or suffocating, whether he was alive or dead. All he could feel was the numbness of abrupt realization, that hit him and consumed his every thought, his every breathe.

Shizu, looking worriedly towards him, raised a hand and moved toward him in the motion as if to try and comfort his with her hand against his shoulder, to keep him from falling into the nothingness. But Miroku took hers on his own rosary-clad and placed it between his palms.

"Father--"

But Miroku cut into her words, saying, "We probably have told Kai too much, too much for him to handle. I dont think your hand will reach him."

After he said this and released her hand, Shizu looked at Kai and she felt cold herself, numb to the core. Her eyes looked into his, but he did not look back; his eyes were empty, blank, full of nothingness. She felt a cold shiver run up her spine. She couldn't look at him anymore.

Kai only looked at the ground, eyes blank, his being itself empty as a shell.

"He is alive, and his demon blood runs through you," said Miroku, raising and touching Sango on the shoulder, who was still concentrating intently on Kai. "We have probably confused you much already for this time. Forgive us for that."

And Sango and Miroku left the room, leaving Shippo, Shizu, and Kai.

Shippo looked at Shizu, who looked back only breifly and then turned to look at Kai. He was numb. He couldn't move; he wouln't move. He couldn't feel anything, not even Shippo's arms under his own lifting him or Shizu's concerned hand on his shoulder.

The night was thick, deep. Should there have been a clock, it would have been the next day, the time 1 a.m. But the clouds continued to shift, hued by the dark sky, and the moon continued to shine. And the dulcet rings of a flute continued to play.

Sango sat at the steps of the old house, a wooden flute in her hands, her fingers flitting over the holes carved into it, and her lips placed on the mouth piece. The night was cool, and few strays winds blew at her. But she knew no demons would come, except the cat with her, curled on her lap in slumber. Sango continued to move her fingers along the body and holes of the flute, and paused if she had erred, and continued again, aiming for the correct tune.

14 years had much changed how she looked, and her attitude as well. Her hair had grown longer and fell past her waist, still tied by its white ribbon. Her face was carved with features of worry, hardship, but she was still as beautiful as she was before, only seeming older, more mature with beauty. Her eyes were softer than they once were, for the fire that burned in them when she fought the countless demons was fading away, replaced with worry and concern. But she could see in her daughter's the fire that once burned in her dark eyes.

Then Sango felt a jolt of suprise as footsteps creaked along the old floorboards, approaching, but before she could turn to see whom they belonged to, she could feel bright robe-clad arms hang themselves on her shoulders.

"Such a sad song you continue to play," came a familiar voice she had known so long, the mouth that owned it placed by her ear and the short, dark bangs touching the side of her face.

"Really?" said Sango inquiringly with Miroku holding her to him as he leaned over her, his arms wrapped around her and removing the flute from her mouth. "I didn't think so."

"It sounds familiar to that song...that one from Horia Island." said Miroku, over her and arms around her. "That song, The Song Of Parting."

Sango turned her head a quarter over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of his face. Years had carved it, as the rest of his body. His hair no longer was long enough to hold into its short pony-tail, and the earrings had lost there golden luster. His face, still as she loved it, was worn with hardship and worry, but he tried to conceal it. But Sango knew why it was longer, a bit older, and worn with concern.

"Really? I hadn't guesses," said Sango, looking at the flute in her hands. Miroku ran his finger along its smooth, wooden surface and then returned his hand over his wife's collar.

For a moment the couple was silent, Sango no longer looking at her flute but into the vast darkness and Miroku looking over her into the density of it as well.

Then the husband said, "I didn't know you continued to play the flute."

"Hmm?"

"You still play though," said Miroku, looking at her with a soft smile.

Sango looked at her instrument once again and then said, not looking at Miroku but rather reminiscently into the distance, "...I...I guess I still do. I didn't realize I had stopped playing it for so long."

"Since they both left," said Miroku, and another period of silence ensued.

After a while, the darkness still deep with the scent of the trees, the religious salts placed on the grounds around the house, and the fresh night, Sango said softly, "...I'm very thankful...that I listened to the villagers in the streets, playing their flutes and strings. When I used to live in the village, long ago. Or when you had given this to me when Shizu was born, I might have not been able to put it to use. I remember..."

Sango lifted the flute before her. The body was turned over in her fingers, the wood carved by Miroku's hands ("I'm just thankful its in one piece," Miroku had said when it was built, a sweatdrop beading his brow and I guilty smile on his face,) shining after years of smoothing in the moonlight.

"...when we were a bit younger, Kohaku and I would listen to the people playing and ask them how they did it. If I hadn't..."

"...you would be playing like myself," Miroku finished, smiling with the same smile on his face when he had built the flute.

"Does that mean badly or just a single tune?" said Sango, laughing, and holding Miroku's hands over her chest. As she touched them, she could feel the rosary tightly wound around the cloth concealing his arm...

...he hadn't much time left...had he...?

"Mi...Miroku?" siad Sango softly, all playfulness from her earlier comment gone in her voice.

"Hn?"

Sango hesitated for a while, her hands over her husbands resting atop her breast. She didn't know how to start... she could only look away into the night, away from his arm, away from what would be his early death. As she thought this, her expression of anguish and depression, which she tried to hide, tried to hide more than anything in the world, became apparent and she began to play with the beads of the rosary over the cloth of Miroku's arm. And Miroku knew what she was thinking of. He said nothing, watching the back of her head and she played her fingers along the beads, her flute on the soft grassy floor.

After the silence, so thick and deep between them when either of them considered this, Miroku said, "What's on your mind, Sango?"

Sango didn't answer and she needn't to, for she knew Miroku knew the answer and he knew what she would say more. He was silent, feeling her play with the cloth of his hand and run her fingers along the turquoise beads. His expression was as somber as it had always been and hers as despairing.

"Sango," said Miroku when the silence persisted, his voice serious and composed, "I told you, you needn't--"

"'Need'nt' what, Miroku?" said Sango, and as she spoke, her voice was tremulous and dark.

Sango's hands slid from over his and he said, "You needn't worry about the Wind Tunnel, for it will do nothing. It will not buy us more time, and it will not change fate."

Sango didn't answer. She was quite, but the air around her was dark and deathly. She wasn't close to tears, but she wasn't furious nor enraged.

"There's no more that can be done," said Miroku, looking at his Wind Tunnel when he raised it before him. He flexed the fingers, worn, weary, and wrapped in cloth, and looked down the rest of his arm. He knew and she knew what lay beneath the bright and dark robes covering his arm: Musshin had used the last of his strength and spiritual powers to slow the process of the Wind Tunnels growth, but he could have done no more; he had died. Miroku was forbidden to use the Tunnel, at all costs, for if he had opened it only twice more for only a moment, it would open and it would consume him. It was astounding, unbelievable that it had not aready consumed him at this point. But Sango could not look at it and find no tears stinging her eyes.

Miroku looked at his hand and said, "...Enough has already been done for my life and to stop the Tunnels proggression. It was my fault that Musshin died, it was my fault he died...all for my sake," Miroku clenched his hand tightly into a fist; if the cloth had not been there, he would have bled from the his nails piercing his skin. Hiding the anger in his voice, he said, "I wont let anything more be done for my sake, or for my Wind Tunnel. All I want is for her to live."

Sango listened quietly without saying a word.

"If..." said Miroku somberly, looking at his hand but thinking back into the shack, where Shizu lay, asleep, "I can let her live, than I will not care if I die. It is my fault she is cursed with this fate; it is my fault Musshin had to die; I cant...I cant think of any reason."

"But," said Sango softly, "but... is there no hope?"

"The only hope left and the only chance is if Naraku is dead." said Miroku.

Sango did not answer.

Miroku, looking silently at her, took her hand in his and said smiling softly and his eyes gentle, "Sango...you cant worry anymore, for there is nothing that can be done. I can only wish for her to live, even should I..."

"How can I just worry about Shizuko and not worry about you Miroku?" said Sango loudly, turning around so that she faced him, her eyes rimmed with tears.

Miroku looked at her and said, almost turning away so as not to face her tears, "...there is nothing left for me...I can only wish for her...and for you to live. I cursed you both with this fate."

Sango looked at him, tears shining in her eyes. "I can't...I can't not worry about you Miroku, not just Shizu. I love her; she is my daughter, I can't think of her Wind Tunnel. But you're my husband, and I cannot just let myself allow you to die!"

Miroku looked at her. He could clearly see the worry in her face, her anguished, pained face. Her eyes through her dark bangs, rimmed with tears, her lips firmly placed to keep her from crying, and her anguished features. He smiled so gently and touched her face, saying, with his gentle, pained eyes, "I wish I hadn't cursed you both...but I don't wish for you to worry about me so."

Sango looked at him, feeling his hand on the side her face. She could only bite her lip to refrain from crying.

Miroku looked at her and said, his arm around her shoulders and holding her head to his chest, "I hate to see you cry for me, Sango. But I can only think about you and Shizu, I can't...think of myself any longer."

Sango listened numbly to him and she couldn't refrain from letting the tears streams from her eyes any longer.

The night, still thick for the new day, lay before all of them and all of them felt it. Miroku held Sango to him, his arms around her shaking shoulders, and watching the moon still in the sky, waiting to fade into the new day.

All of them felt it. Miroku...Sango...Shippo...they could all feel it. As Shippo looked outside sitting by the window, Kai and Shizu sleeping on the floor, and as Miroku looked onto the sunset with Sango crying onto him, they could feel it.

Kai lying on the floor, his face peaceful and his dark hair strewn around him, they could all feel it:

A new beginning.

The shadow of a man, looking so similar to the Great Dog Demon InuTashio, sniffed the air.

"What is it, master Inuyasha?" asked the old flea on his shoulder.

The hanyou, still looking away, sniffed the air once more and looked towards the east, saying, his face carved by age caused by the Shikon Jewel's power but still as powerful and handsome as ever, "Something's here; something's coming."

**_Whatever happens in the night, the morning always comes._**

**_Always._**

**_Has there ever been a night that had no dawn?_**

**_Even a dawn such as this...?_**

**Okay, so this is the end of this chapter of _When Bonds Are Broken_, and we're really, really sorry it came so late (really!), but the next few chapters will come earlier than this for sure. Oh, and for a note athough this will appear later on, when Naraku obtained the Shikon Jewel, it made human-like demons age quicker, so Shippo looks older and so will Inuyasha. **

**Please continue to read and review!**


	6. Chapter 5: Time and The Great Dog Demon

**Really sorry the other chapters have been coming out late for When Bonds Are Broken, but the next will come out sooner! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**-Noname**

…

The glow of the sun against the cliffs of the mountains, carved by weaponry and demon hands, looked like only more blood over the rock. It pierced the shadows of the trees with shafts and specks of bloody light against the shifting black umber.

The single shadow of a man crossed the carved landscape, the shadow atop him too small to be seen on the rocks beside and below. He looked once more towards the east, where the town once protected by two powerful priestesses stood, but now barely remained, encountered and destroyed by the multiple demons created by the nearly complete Shikon Jewel in Naraku's hands.

For a moment the man continued to look out at the village and then staggered, struggling to get onto his feet.

He looked so similar to the Great Dog Demon himself, except his hair was wilder, his face scarred by not demon marks but multiple battles. His silvery bangs fell over his narrow golden eyes, nearly hiding them from view, and his hair was now shorter and held into a loose, slipping pony-tail. His ears, white and furry still as they had been, twitched as he tried to listen to the abandoned landscape. The robe he wore, red as blood and spun from the furs of the fire rat, was now torn and tattered in several places, where armor now stood, shafts of arrows jutting from the metal.

He was InuTashio.

No, he wasn't.

"Master Inuyasha!" shouted the old flea on his shoulder. He hadn't aged much, and never would have appeared different at all had the nearly complete Jewel been in Naraku's hands. "What are you doing!?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Inuyasha growled to him. His voice, his timbre was different; more powerful, more mature, tinged with ferocity.

As he tried to stagger to his feet, droplets of blood fell like raindrops beneath him from the wounds of his battle.

"You—you can't be trying to—Master Inuyasha!" said Myoga loudly and reproachfully, "You can't try to stand in your condition!"

Inuyasha said nothing in reply, still as the blood flowed from the gash of his chest, and tried to stagger up again. He felt the gash burn against him and put his hand to it, succeeding in covering his palm in deep red blood.

"Master Inuyasha!" said Myoga, trying to stop him.

"Be quiet, Myoga!" said Inuyasha sharply and grabbed the hilt of the blade at his side, the Tetsusaiga. He tore it from the sash, looking at the shining black sheath, looking as if it had been lacquered, and the blade within it.

The cloth of the hilt twitched at his touch and as he grasped it tight, they blade began to shudder. Inuyasha ignored this and stabbed the blade into the ground, using it as a support to get up.

"Master Inuyasha, you shan't use Tetsusaiga like that!" said Myoga loudly, clinging to a sliver strand of his master's hair.

"What else can I use to for?" said Inuyasha back and pulled himself up until he was standing. As he stood, he felt the sharp pain of his wound but ignored it. He couldn't feel pain; he wouldn't feel pain.

The breeze hit him; cool atop the mountain side and the autumn season. Everything looked bloody; the scarlet foliage of the Omato and other trees; the bright red color of the dawn; and the dry, now auburn blood splattering the rocky backdrop.

Inuyasha wiped the blood off the side of his face with his tattered red sleeve and said, "Do you feel it, Myoga?"

"F-feel what, my lord?" asked Myoga on his shoulder, holding his silver strand.

"That aura…a demonic aura approaching the east." He said, looking down the side of the rocks and boulders. "Kaede's village…"

Myoga looked where his narrow, golden eyes did and sniffed the air, "I can barely…"

"Can you recognize the scent?" said Inuyasha, looking to the east.

Myoga looked at him nervously, as if his answer were a dangerous one, "My lord…you can't be thinking…"

"It's that damn Naraku's scent," said Inuyasha and then said in no pore than a rough whisper, "we're going,", putting Tetsusaiga back into the sash at his side and jumping into the air, landing feet below on a boulder. As he landed, the ground shook, the rocks crackled, and the trees shed few leaves, like blood-red snow.

"W-wait—!" said Myoga, clinging to him as Inuyasha jumped from boulder to boulder like a child from rock to rock in a stream, swiftly landing on his bare feet and pouncing into the air again. "You can't go—you shouldn't be moving! You were fighting that entire army on the border—!"

"I'm not going to lose from some small spear wounds!" said Inuyasha, leaping from rock to rock swiftly. He leapt down the mountain side, the trees covering him, the bamboo like rods before him. The shadow flitted over him quickly, like light flitting over carp in the water. He could smell it so clearly… the scent met him without a doubt. It was the scent of Naraku's demons heading towards Kaede's village. But it wasn't the usual swarm of small demons such as miasma-born ogres or soul-skimmers; theses demons were powerful.

_Damn!_ He thought as he raced down the mountain, ignoring his throbbing wounds, leaping and leaping from boulder to boulder. _I'll never get there before them!_

_But what the hell are they after?_

The shadow flitted over him, tattered by the sun streaming through it. Inuyasha could feel the blood flow free from his wounds, not even covered by any bandaging or cloth. It throbbed painfully, but he ignored it. He would no longer feel pain; he decided that the day he left to search and kill Naraku and retrieve the final shard…

"_Inuyasha!"_

The feminine scream ran through his head, raven locks and hazel eyes vanishing in the darkness.

Inuyasha shook his head; he wouldn't think about it, he couldn't feel sympathy, empathy, sadness, or pain…those emotions were oblivious to him. They were nothing; humans were nothing; other demons were nothing; he could only kill Naraku and obtain that final shard.

"Master Inuyasha, you shouldn't be moving!" said Myoga, clinging to his hair frantically to stay with him and not flying high in the air. "You just fought that army! Look, your wounds haven't even healed yet!"

"Feh," said Inuyasha and continued to leap down the rocky, unstable incline of mountainous land.

_What are they after? Why did he send them to go over there?_

_Damn you, Naraku!_ Thought Inuyasha as he continued down the landscape; the shadow passed over him, like he was quickly going from areas light to dark in less than a second. _What are you scheming this time?_

Kaede's village was too far at this point, on the border of the mountains and sea. He wouldn't make it before them at this rate, not with these wounds either. He couldn't beta them too it. But…

"Master Inuyasha, please, don't open your wounds even further in this haste!" Myoga begged him loudly over the whistling wind passing his ears.

Inuyasha did not listen to him, hurrying down the incline of uneven, rocky land. The trees had been cut and slashed, the ground opened with wounds healed by moss and shifting gravel. He continued, the ground hitting his callused, bare feet and then the air sliding over the soles.

"Please master Inuyasha!" Myoga said, holding the folds of his robe tight. "You can't do this—!"

"Quiet, Myoga!" said Inuyasha as he sped forward. He could smell it, even though his sense of smell was obscured by the blood on the landscape and his own blood dripping from his wounds. He knew it was there; something…

_What are you looking for Naraku?_

What could he be looking for? Could it have been the same scent, the same aura, Inuyasha had sensed earlier…?

A familiar scent…

…

"What is it, milord?"

A young woman sat in the grass, the soft, green blades tucked beneath her weight. The folds of her yukata were spread on the ground, embroidered with the designs of lilies over ripples.

She sat up, patting her yukata and throwing back her hair. Her hair fell free over her shoulders and her innocent brown eyes looked onto the man before her. She was older than she had been before, 14 years older, her shape no longer of a young 7 year old girl, but of a beautiful 21 year old woman. In the sash she wore at her side were herbs and medicines she used to heal and treat wounds.

She joined the small demon talking to her master, a toad-like demon by the name of Jaken. He hadn't aged since the Jewel had fallen into Naraku's hands and his voice, powers, and words had remained the same.

And then there was her master, the man standing so powerful before her. The Jewel had carved his features, less than Inuyasha's due to his full demon blood but he was no less handsome than before. He greatly looked like InuTashio, as both the sons of the Dog Demon did, except, unlike his brother's wild, ferocious features, his were cold, emotionless, nimble, graceful, and composed. Two swords were hung at his sides, one a sword of healing and giving life, another an evil blade used for killing and taking the life given.

Sesshomaru's hair still fell sleekly down his back, but his armor and robes had changed. His face had barely matured, and the demon marks along it became more prominent, longer, and jagged. His cold eyes showed no emotion; only a coldness that had still not faded for nearly half of two decades.

The group had been traveling for years throughout Japan, searching for the final shard. Sesshomaru knew it existed, for Naraku's power was not complete; he had not had the complete Jewel. They roamed the country, killing the many demons created by Naraku and passing the suffering human villages without a second glance. Sesshomaru knew that a shard was left, and that Naraku was somewhere, looking for it. But where was it? Where was he hiding?

He sniffed the air once again, looking into the bloody sky concealed by the trees. He did not answer Jaken beneath him, so he asked again; "What is it, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"My Lord?" said Rin, her voice more feminine and older.

Sesshomaru looked at neither of them, still looking into and sniffing the air until he turned his back to them, his silvery-white hair swaying behind him.

"We're going. Jaken, Rin, come." He said, his voice nearly unchanged.

"What? Wait, milord!" said Jaken, clutching his staff of two heads and hurrying after him.

"What do you mean, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Rin, keeping a pace that Jaken could not succeed in doing with his short stumps-of-legs.

Sesshomaru did not answer, looking forward as he headed towards the south east. The grass made no sound as he crossed it and the silence persisted.

"Where are we going, my Lord?" asked Jaken frantically, hurrying behind Sesshomaru.

"To the South east," said Sesshomaru as he strode forward.

"Wha-what? What for, Lord Sesshomaru?" said Jaken perplexedly.

Sesshomaru once again did not answer, only following the scent in the air. He knew what it was clearly; Naraku's demons. The scent could not be mistaken of the spider, strong with the smell of smoke, blood, and burning flesh.

_What is he doing…? _

"Why are we going to the east, My Lord?" asked Rin, holding a bundle of small clover blossoms in her arms.

"A familiar scent exists in the South east." said Sesshomaru shortly, still striding forward.

Rin watched him curiously, and Jaken bewildered as they strode to the east, the dawn shining down on them. Sesshomaru could smell it, and both blades shuddered as he went further into the land, green with grass and abundant with trees, most dead and withered by the demonic aura. The scent of Naraku was close; he must have sent those demons to the east. But to what purpose?

Sesshomaru looked at the ground and could smell the dying land, the dying land that always obscured the sense of smell her owned. Ever since the Jewel had fallen into Naraku's hands, the earth had begun to die, demon that resembled humans had begun to age faster, and beasts had begun to roam the land in hoards. The land was dying. Soon the air would be poisoned and life would cease on the earth.

Sesshomaru could smell it so clearly, the dying land and Naraku. The scent of the decaying soil, so much like the flesh of a corpse, hit him as he smelt the air. Like burning flesh the ground reeked, and like putrid smoke the air smelled so sweetly…

_I will not let you destroy this land, Naraku. You may kill all other humans and demons, but I will not die…_

"What in the Seven Hells is going on?" said Jaken as Sesshomaru walked forward, Rin only listening.

"I thought you knew everything about Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken," said Rin, oblivious to her comment and its sarcasm.

"Of-of course I do, silly girl!" said Jaken, whipping his head around to her. "You talk nonsense like you did as a whelp. I know everything there is to know about milord!"

"Then why does he answer me more than you?" said Rin, a bit of mocking in her voice, and a vein popped in Jaken's temple.

"Look, you little—!" shouted Jaken angrily.

"Come Rin, Jaken." said Sesshomaru from afar.

"Yes My Lord!" said Rin and trampled over Jaken, leaving him flat on the ground beneath her bare feet and succeeding to stay a couple of feet behind Sesshomaru.

Jaken mumbled into the dirt furiously before getting up when Sesshomaru and Rin had left him far behind. Spitting the grass from inside his mouth, he said angrily, "Every time, that little brute does it every time!"

…

The sun crossed his eyes and face, causing them to struggle open. It slid through the bars of the windows of the old house, gold tinged with scarlet.

Kai opened his golden eyes. As he did, he shot forward and sat up, his legs before him beneath a thin sheet of fabric. It felt like light flooded over him as he sleepily wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and sniffed the air.

For a minute he thought he was in his room, as he had always been, under the warm covers of his bed as the light swam in from his opened window. Below would be the grounds of the ancestral shrine, the mini-shrine barely visible through the trees. Sota's bed had just been set up as he came to visit for his birthday from college, by Kai's placed by the wall. His room had originally been Sota's before he went to college, and he shared it with his while he was in high school.

Yes, he was in his room, where they had all lived…

Then the realization hit Kai and he felt numb.

It all seemed like a dream, like he was back in his own time, his own world, his own room, but he wasn't. The dream was reality. Kai looked around with his somniferous golden gaze and found himself in the room of Sango and Miroku's house. He could see the rough, wooden walls and felt the tatami mat beneath him, and the thin sheet over him.

Kai, shaking off the cover, stood up and found the room abandoned. He silently scanned the walls of the room, the emptiness of the space, and felt alone. The rough walls almost cut the skin of his hands at their touch, as he ran he pressed his palms over them. Kai could see the room and felt the reality of this other world sink into him. The sun was bright, but the room was dark, dark with his thoughts and musings.

"……" Kai looked around, touching the clothes he wore. They were an average school kid's, with a thin sweater of pale blue over a collared shirt and khaki-like pants. They came from the 21st century, in a time he thought only existed, in the time he knew.

But he wasn't back in his time, he wasn't back in his home of modern Japan; he felt like he was in a dream, an all too real dream.

"…" Kai heard the sounds of birds outside the window, chirping softly and he approached the barred opening in the wall. He could see few birds perched in a small nest of twigs and feathers, the mother feeding its young sparrows. As he saw this, he felt a twinge of regret of what he had left last his mother; he had fought with her, and he had disobeyed her.

Was she worried about him? Were uncle Sota, grandma, and Jii-chan worried too?

I haven't been here too long… thought Kai as he looked through the window. He struggled to get higher, already on the tips of his toes, to see more of the view outside, clinging to the frame of the glass-less window.

"Oww!"

Kai fell down, looking at his finger. He could see nothing but a pinprick, but he felt the almost invisible wound sting. Soon he could see a bead of blood appear on the tip of his finger, where the pain grew. Looking at his cut, Kai placed his lips over the finger and nursed his wound gingerly. He could feel the salty blood in his mouth and the pain fade from him. As he looked around the room, sucking at his wound, he felt the brief urge to shout, "Mom, I cut myself!" but it quickly faded into nothingness.

…

"Come on, aren't you hungry?"

The sunlight was hidden from him as the shade of a tree, withering as if ill, fell over him, He could feel pinpricks of light cascade and fade away from the miniscule holes in the leaves, a beams speck him from the intertwining branches.

Shizu was leaning against a tree with Kai, a basket beside her and Kirara on her lap. Kai could see the wrapped blades in her sash and noticed the faint white stripes of bandaging from the opening of her yukata on her shoulders. The autumn brought about subtle breezes, whistling through the thin treetops. The sky would have been so blue that day at his home at the ancestral shrine, stripped with pure white clouds, but it was here it was pale and grey, as if filled with the smoke of burning coals.

Kai looked at the pale plum she offered before him in her hand and took it from her, biting into the firm, but juicy flesh. Shizu let him chew the chunk of juicy fruit for a moment and threw one up into the tree's branches, where Shippo sat, slapping away the twigs scratching his face.

"Hey, give some warning before you launch fruit at people!" he said as he juggled the plum in his hands in an attempt to catch it.

"C'mon, you're a demon, you should sense when an object is hurtling at you!" said Shizu back, stroking Kirara's fur as she lay half-way on her lap. The small demon opened her bright-orange eyes as Shizu offered her a chunk of her fruit, sniffing it and letting the juice moisten her black noise, and then sinking her teeth into it.

Kai sat silently as he ate, grateful for food he hadn't received for so long. He could feel the juice in his mouth, and wiped the stray sticky liquid trickling from the corners of his lips as Shizu laughed.

"You woke up late." She said, playing with the apricot pit in her fingers. "The sun had already fully risen into the sky when you awoke."

"I can't tell what time is what here," said Kai, still chewing on the flesh of his half-eaten fruit.

He could feel Kirara nudge him with her muzzle and look inquisitively at his plum. Tearing a chunk of the flesh, the sticky juice webbing his fingers, Kai offered her some food.

Shippo looked down at them for a moment and then leapt from the tree, causing several twigs to shower down and leaves to fall thickly.

"Hey!" said Shizu, putting her arms over her head as the debris of foliage and twigs rained down on her, "and you tell me to warn people! You should warn us before you jump down and bring most of the tree with you!"

"Well, Kai's half-demon, he should sense it!" said Shippo as he sat beside them.

As he said this, Kai's expression changed to surprise. He unconsciously brought his hands before him, looking at the talons on his fingers. They hadn't been there before…had they…?

No, they had only appeared when he lunged at those demons, desperate to protect Shizu. He could barely remember then, it all seemed like a distant memory. All he could remember was anger roiling in his blood, the will to protect her, and blood flitting before him and sprinkling his face. His emotions had taken him over and he jumped at them. All he could think was that he had to protect her…he hadn't even regarded his own safety. And he had slashed through them with the talons he hadn't known that he had, sinking his hands in the feeling of warm liquid in the form of blood…

"I'm…half-demon…" he said, unconsciously aloud.

"You have demon blood running through you," said Shippo, staring at the fruit in his hands. "You have human blood from you mother, Kagome, and the demon blood from Inuyasha. That's why you have those eyes, those talons, and those ears."

As Shippo said this, Kai put his hands to his ears. He had asked about them before, why they were pointed and fringed with fur, but his answer had always been the same: "It's because you're unique, Kai."

But he had still hidden them beneath a cap and his locks of hair framing his face, looking down through his golden eyes.

He had demon blood…he was a half-demon.

It was still so hard to believe, so untangle the facts and let the reality sink in. His mother had been in the past…she had had him with the half-demon Inuyasha…she had returned to the past…and he had lived there.

Kai bit his lip for a moment after he remembered this, a thought brought to his head. He cast his eyes at Shippo and Shizu, afraid to ask, without the courage to inquire. He probably didn't even have the courage to listen to the answer.

"What is it?" said Shippo, looking at Kai.

"Hmm?"

"You look like you wanna ask something. What is it?" said Shippo, looking at Kai from between him and Shizu.

Kai looked at him for a moment, his blue, slit-like eyes, and then turned away. He bit his lip, wondering if he should…

"Is it about Inuyasha and Kagome?"

Kai whipped his head to him, seeing Shippo play with a leaf on the ground and Shizu looking at the kitsune. No longer biting his lip, Kai asked after staring at him for a while, in his soft voice, "H-how did you know…?"

"You looked like you wanted to ask," said Shippo plainly, picking at the stem of the leaf. "And you seemed like you would ask that."

Shippo then turned to face Kai, his small fingers twisting the leaf and causing the autumnal leaf to crumble. "What do you want to know?"

Kai looked at him, turning back to see his hands in his lap and hesitating. He felt like he hadn't had the courage to ask or hear the answer. He didn't know what he was afraid of…but he couldn't ask about them, about the past of his mother or the father he never knew. But he had to, he had to know.

"Um… what happened between my mom…and…" it took Kai a moment to say this and he let the word out, "father?"

Shippo looked at him for a moment and then turned away, thinking. Shizu and Kai looked at him, anxious as they anticipated an answer.

"Well, to be truthful," said Shippo after his pause, sighing, "They were idiots at times. I met them after I was chasing to demons, looking for the shards. Those two were really in denial. They bickered, they fought, and strangely enough, that seemed to bring them closer together." Shippo sighed as if at their idiocy. "They were in love…but they wouldn't admit it, but everyone could see it. After a while, though…those feelings began to show and you knew they loved each other."

Kai looked at him, his whole body shivering. He didn't know why his blood burned, or why his body shook violently; it wasn't fear or excitement. But it was something that made him listen to Shippo completely and anxiously await each sentence.

"That sounds like what mother and father told me," said Shizu, "two love-birds in denial."

"Sango and Miroku would know," said Shippo with an all-knowing air. He coughed into his small hand and then continued: "but they fell for each other, and that was obvious. But…they were prone to jealousy, especially Inuyasha, the idiot. Whenever one or the other was with Koga or Kikyo, they would bicker, Kagome would go on the other side of the well, Inuyasha would be an idiot, and somehow they'd make up. It seemed to only draw them closer…"

"Koga? Kikyo…?" said Kai inquisitively at these names.

"Oh," said Shippo, hitting his fist in his palm, "you don't know, do you? Well…Koga was the same impulsive, arrogant canine-demon Inuyasha was. He really did love Kagome, and that was what made Inuyasha jealous and that was what made them bicker. Kikyo…Kikyo, was different. In a past life, she and Inuyasha loved one another until Naraku turned them against each other."

Kai knew this tale and nodded, shivering. But if this tale was true, then…

"When Kikyo was resurrected, that was what made things rocky. Inuyasha did love Kagome…but he hadn't completely forgotten his love for Kikyo either. I don't really know what Kikyo wanted; to love him or kill him. Or both. But he would meet with her and Kagome would go on the other side of the well. It was kind of stupid; Inuyasha would be jealous of Koga and then run off with Kikyo. But he still loved Kagome…and when Kikyo was killed again…I guess after he finally realized who Kagome was to him."

"And then there was _you_," said Shizu.

"…me…?" said Kai.

"You're proof of that. You're Kagome and Inuyasha's child." said Shippo carelessly, leaning back against the tree trunk.

Kai didn't look at him, or Shizu, or Kirara. He only felt cold shivers run down him and his body tremble. It was too hot outside that day; he felt like he could fling off all his clothing and he would still be burning and shivering.

Biting his lip, he tried to stop the shaking but he couldn't and instead finally asked in a tremulous voice, "Then…what happened? Why am I in the present…why didn't my mom tell me nay of this?"

"Well," said Shippo, leaning back against the tree, "that's what I'd like to know. All of us…Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and me… we don't really know what happened. All we know is what Inuyasha told us the night he left."

"What…?" said Shizu quietly, turning to him.

Shippo paused for a moment, appearing as if trying to remember. But he knew; he wouldn't forget the anger, frustration, and sadness that day. The helplessness; every emotion when they left:

"Inuyasha appeared from the woods by the well alone that night. But it was like it wasn't him; he felt colder, emptier, without emotion. He only…he only told us… Kagome wouldn't be coming back anymore…and that she had to continue to live in the present with her child. Of course, none of us knew Kagome was pregnant then, not even Kagome herself…but Inuyasha knew the morning of the day you were conceived. And he left. Kagome never came back, and we never saw Inuyasha again either. We could only guess."

Shippo said this and stopped, with Shizu and Kai still staring at him. As they watched him, as Kirara nudged at them with her muzzle for their unfinished pieces of fruit, everything felt empty. Kai only looked numbly at Shippo, and then to the ground.

He still didn't get it, any of it. What had happened to his mother and father to make him live in the present, to make everyone around him tell him nothing of it, to make him like this?

Kagome loved Inuyasha, didn't she? Then why had she kept him hidden for all this time? Why had she not told him anything?

She had forbid him to go down the well, too. It was a sacred relic in the Higurashi shrine, placed with scrolls and always covered; an old, dried-up well that happened to be in the mini-shrine. Had she feared he would go down it and discover this time, her secret, and his own father?

What _had_ happened nine years ago?

…

The dusk falling slowly, like the twilight, and causing red light to spill like crimson blood over the land, Sango and Miroku looked out. Miroku sat with his eyes closed and his hands clasped over his lap. His staff was placed leaning against his chest, the rings shaking as Miroku wordlessly chanted.

Sango approached him, a cup of tea with her and the scent of herbs in warm water filling the air. She settled herself beside him, looking anxiously ahead at the invisible barrier making them blend into the forest surrounding the shack.

"Do you feel it, Lord Monk?" she asked beside him.

"Yes. There is a demonic aura approaching. It is and army of weaker demons, but there is a stronger one in the midst."

"Could it be Naraku?" Sango asked, looking at her husband.

Miroku hesitated for a moment and then said, eyes still closed and hand sings placed, "I am not certain…but it could be. This hoard shares a familiar aura, but the stronger demon doesn't feel familiar to any of Naraku's children."

"Then what's going on?" said Sango, looking ahead.

"Do you think..." said Miroku softly, almost opening his eyes to look into Sango's, "Naraku knows Kai had traversed through the well to this time?"

Sango whipped her head around to see him, her eyes wide with worry. Through his meditation, Sango could not see any features of emotion on Miroku's face, but could tell he was afraid of the same thing.

"Would he come?" Sango quietly asked.

"I do not know," said Miroku, "But if he should, then things will become complicated."

Sango looked at Miroku and turned away to the cup of tea in her hands.

"_You're lucky, Sango."_

_Sango looked at Kagome, who sat by her side, looking enviously at the child on her lap. Kagome touched the tufty, light hair on the child's head, the year-old baby in the form of Shizu turning her wide, round brown eyes on her._

_Shizu wore the pale blue outfit that covered her arms, chest, legs, and feet, one she had received from Kagome, while sitting on her mother's lap with her bright eyes looking curiously at the world around her._

"_I don't think Shippo feels the same way," said Sango, holding Shizu's stubby hand as it tugged at her hair, "lately, she's been taking a liking to pulling his tail when he least expects it."_

_Kagome laughed and the wide-eyed baby merely looked around._

"_Well, I still think you're lucky," said Kagome, sighing._

"_What would you call you're child?" said Sango curiously, fingering Shizu's hair, "should you have one?"_

"_Kai," said Kagome automatically and then quickly drew a hand to her mouth._

_Sango laughed at Kagome's quick response and Kagome looked perplexed by it, fingering her lower lip._

"_Kai?" said Sango, laughing._

"_I—I don't know why—"Kagome stammered confusedly, "that just slipped…"_

"_That's a nice name," said Sango serenely and she laughed at Kagome's confusion, and Kagome shortly followed._

Sango looked out into the dipping sun, remembering this conversation from about 12 years ago. Now Kai was here, and something was coming. But what was it?

"What's happening?" Sango whispered as Naraku's swarm approached.

**This is the end of this chapter of When Bonds Are Broken and I hope you enjoyed. **

**Next chapter will involved a familiar face changed, Kagome coming into the past once again after 9 years, and Inuyasha and Sesshomaru approaching. Then things will finally begin…**


	7. Chapter 6: Remember, Reencounter

**Thanks to all of AnimeGirls' reviewers, for all of our stories, not just When Bonds Are Broken. We really appreciate your compliments and constructive criticism. We hope you will continue to read and review our stories!**

**Now, the sixth chapter of When Bonds Are Broken!**

…

Kagome sat by the well, listening to the sounds of the insects in the mini-shrine, to the muffled voices of the people inside the house, and the fat cat purring on her lap. She had been looking at something she hadn't in a while, nine years to be exact. Looking at it, held in her hands with the corners folding in, made her smile softly and her eyes sad.

Buyo had entered the mini-shrine after smelling the ramen Mrs. Higurashi had brought in for Kagome (Kagome, of course, let him lick the remaining chicken-flavored soup and small pieces of noodle from the nearly empty bowl.) Buyo now lay on her lap, his eyes on the picture in her hand. Kagome looked at it, smiling sadly.

It was an old colored photo she had taken using her small camera, one she had hidden away in her drawers where Kai couldn't find it. She looked at it and saw the glimmer of a locket around one of the necks of the people in the photo, his red-robe partially covering it.

It was taken about four years ago and Kagome could remember only vaguely, but enough.

"_How d'you work this contraption, Kagome?"_

"_Hey!" said Kagome, grabbing the camera out of Inuyasha's hands. "You'll break it, just like my bike! Besides, you can't take the picture since you're going to be in it."_

_Just as Inuyasha began to argue that he hadn't broken the bike and that she didn't need the stupid thing anyway, Kagome walked over to Kaede._

"_Here," she said, giving the old woman the camera and making sure the shutter was off. "All you need to do is press the button on the top when you can see everybody in the square. Can you do it?"_

"_Its simple enough fer such a queer thing," said Kaede, looking at the camera from every angle in her withered hands._

"_Great!" said Kagome, smiling. She clapped her hands and looked around at everybody, whom were all standing looking confused._

_Kagome ran over to the group, clapping her hands and saying, "Okay everyone, let's get by the trunk of the tree for the picture! There's not too much shade that we won't be seen."_

"_Are you sure this is alright, Lady Kagome?" asked Miroku, holding his staff and looking towards the village where the village women giggled, watching the peculiar scene._

"_You'll be fine without being surrounded by women, Monk!" said Sango forcefully, glaring at him and scaring away the onlookers._

"_That wasn't what I was suggesting, Lady Sango. I simply meant—"_

"_Kagome, Kagome!" shouted Shippo. "Can I stand over here?"_

_Kagome rushed over, hearing Sango begin to raise her voice at Miroku and the monk's composed face begin to become frightened._

"_I don't think so, Shippo," said Kagome, looking at the young kitsune as he stood on one of the thick roots of the tree. "The way we're taking the picture, we won't be able to see you…"_

"_But I'll be seen over here!" Shippo insisted, standing on the protruding root._

"_Why don't you just sit on someone's shoulder or something?" asked Kagome, a bit exasperated._

"'_Cause, I don't want to be remembered in some picture on some vixen!" said Shippo defiantly._

"_I'm not sure we'll be able to get more than the top of your head in the picture like that…" said Kagome, ignoring Shippo's answer._

"_I'll be fine this way! Look!" he said indignantly, lifting his chin up to see the camera._

"_Shippo, I really don't think—"_

"_This is a waste of time!" said Inuyasha, leaning against the tree. "When we could be looking for the jewel shards, you decide to goof off with one of your infernal future things!"_

"_Look you!" said Kagome, wheeling around to face him. "Haven't you ever heard of taking a break and saving some memories? Here I am, barely making it into High School for your 24/7shard hunting and all I ask is to take a simple picture—!"_

"_We haven't got the time!" yelled Inuyasha back at her, letting her see his sharp canines._

"_We have enough!" said Kagome. Inside, she was fighting hard to yell back at him, 'Well, you've certainly got the time to go chase after Kikyo!' She bit her lip, thinking this but only knowing they really __**would**__ waste time if they got into a huge argument over this point._

"_You don't get it, do you, wench? Naraku's gaining more power by the second and here we are, wasting our time with this picture-taking—!"_

"_Well, we'll be chasing Naraku forever, wont we? So we might as well get this picture done with now before we don't have any time to do it at all!" Kagome yelled at him angrily. Really, why was this guy such a pain? And she __**had**__ to fall in love with him…_

"_Kagome, Kagome, what if I stand over here—?"_

"_Look, I don't have time to yell at you, I've got to get this picture set up!" Kagome said angrily to Inuyasha, whipping around to see Shippo attempting to look tall as he stood on yet another of the sacred tree's roots._

"_Look, Shippo," said Kagome exhaustedly as he tried to get on the tips of his toes, "I really don't think we'll get a full picture of you like that. This camera only gets a bit of range…"_

"_No, look, I'll be fine!" said Shippo determinedly, proudly sticking up his head and puffing out his chest. He kept on dancing on the tips of his toes as he tried to see the light on the camera._

"_Shippo…" said Kagome, on the verge of begging him just to sit on her shoulder for the picture._

"_Look you, don't get any closer, don't you get a step closer!" Kagome heard Sango shout._

"_Just for the picture Lady Sango,"_

"_Sango, please, we can't have the boomerang bone in the picture!" Kagome implored her as Sango reached for the weapon with Miroku making his way closer and closer to her._

"_Kagome, Kagome!" Shippo shouted, trying to catch her attention as he bounced on the tips of his toes. "Kagome. Look, you can see me now—!"_

"_Shippo, please, the pictures just gonna get everyone from waist up, they wont be able to see you," Kagome told him as patiently as she could._

"_I bet Naraku's gathering more shards and burning down more human villages as we waste our time here." said Inuyasha loudly._

_Kagome, a vein popping in her head, stomped around to him to shout, "Look, if you would just cooperate with me for once we could get this picture over with and you can chase Naraku to your heart's content—!"_

"_You perverted—!"Sango's voice rang._

"_Ack!" shouted Miroku as a loud __**whap! **__resounded through the air._

"_Kagome, Kagome, look now, I think you'll be able to see me now—!"_

"_Shippo, you really can just…"_

"_See," said Inuyasha, "This is just a waste of time."_

_Kagome imagined an Inuyasha-shaped crater in the ground with evil satisfaction, looking at the beads around his neck._

_She could hear Shippo calling out her name, dancing on his toes, Sango yelling at Miroku and Miroku talking at all the wrong times and about all the wrong things, and Inuyasha loudly complaining._

_She was just trying to take a simple picture…_

"_Please people!" she shouted through the din, "Just get in you places! Sango, you sit by me in the centre of the Gishonboku, Miroku by her left, Shippo, just get on someone's shoulder or something! Inuyasha, you stop whining and stand by me at my right!"_

"_But—" shouted several people in obvious displeasure._

"_No, no, no, I don't want to hear it, just get in your places!" Kagome shouted so fiercely that even Inuyasha cowered in her gaze._

_Kagome watched as everybody got in place, Sango looking uncomfortable with her less-than-arms-length-range of Miroku, the monk looking rather pleased, Shippo sitting on an enlarged Kirara and mumbling angrily, and Inuyasha, leaning against the trunk furthest from everyone, his arms crossed. Kagome looked at them for a moment, then another moment, and then a couple minutes more before sighing with both relief and satisfaction and ran over to the group. _

"_Lady Kagome," Kaede called out to her just before she made her way in between Inuyasha and Sango._

"_Yes…?" said Kagome, hiding the annoyance in her voice but letting through the exasperation._

_Kaede was looking at the camera, turning it at every angle in her hands and watching it closely with one eye. "The thing wont work," she said, her eye following the camera in every place and detail._

"_Okay, just wait a minute!" said Kagome exhaustedly. She walked over, wishing for nothing more than to get this over with. She just wanted to take a simple picture; that was all she wanted. It wasn't as if she was asking Miroku to never chase another woman again, or asking Sango not to slap him if he did so, or telling Shippo to get along with Inuyasha, or asking Inuyasha to stop looking for Kikyo; it was just a picture. It was like dealing with children who all wanted something unreasonable at once!_

"_Yes, Lady Kaede?" asked Kagome calmly, coming over to her and looking over her shoulder._

"_The contraption won't go on," said Kaede simply, holding the camera and looking through the small window._

_Kagome looked at it for a moment, taking it out of Kaede's hands and searching the camera. Surely enough, it was like mothering five small children. _

"_You turned it off," said Kagome, giving her the camera as she flicked it on. "Okay, it's on now, so please just take the picture Lady Kaede?"_

_Kaede said "aye" and took the camera, looking through the window to see the Kagome-less group sitting beneath the Gishonboku. _

"_Aye, everybody ready yerselves!" said Kaede, holding down the button and letting the preparing the flash._

"_W-wait! Lady Kaede!" said Kagome, still beside her and not in the picture. The flash was just about to go on and Kagome rushed over to the group as they looked at the camera. She looked back for a moment at Kaede and then felt herself suddenly fall back as she tripped on one of the trees roots. _

_The flash went off _andabout half a decade later, the picture was in her hands.

Shippo had leapt from atop Kirara at the last moment, so that he was looking at the camera in midair; Miroku had snuck his arm around Sango's waist and her face showed only blush and alarm, not giving her enough time to slap him for the photo. And in the middle-right beside Sango was Kagome, looking in surprise at the camera as two strong arms caught her before she met the ground, Inuyasha smirking down at her as he caught her.

It was the picture they had gotten, the only one as they discovered the roll of film had been used up when Inuyasha had handled it and mistakenly taken about twenty pictures before of the inside of his hand.

Kagome looked at it, remembering this place in time when Kikyo had died once again, after Naraku had taken the jewel, before than.

No tears flecked the photo as she held it. She only held anger, sadness, betrayal and loss in her hands. She would cry no more; she wanted to care for _him_ no more…

…

The ground violently shook, the trees shedding their leaves and the weaker ones nearly collapsing. The night had past and the day was just rising, on the border of daylight that painted the sky red.

Kai felt a sudden jolt of surprise that made him lose his breath as he gripped the ground inside the hut. Shippo shot up as he felt the earthquake, the teacups placed by him toppling to the ground and the liquid pooling onto the floor, rippling and quivering. Shizu felt to her knees on the tatami mats, her hands gripping the straw and looking at her Magattaha at the corner of the room. The roof shook, as if it would fall with them beneath it.

Miroku and Sango felt the ground shake violently and immediately stood up. It made the world shake and quiver, as if the ground were about to fall apart. And a stench filled the air above the tumbling ground, the stench of flame and burning flesh…

"Naraku!" said Miroku as he smelled the air and felt the ground shake. He gripped his shakujo and tried to stop himself from shaking.

"Why would he be here?" said Sango, her voice shaking as she did on the quaking ground.

Miroku stabilized himself and looked at her, his earrings chiming and the rings of his staff clacking. "Do you think he could have known about Kai…entering here?"

It took Sango a moment to register the words and when she did, she whipped her head around to her husband, horrified. "Could he…?"

"If he had, he's coming; it is his demonic aura. But he's not approaching here; he's coming to Kaede's village."

"Kaede's village?" said Sango, looking at him with her brown eyes full of worry. Again, the features of agony were carved into her face.

Miroku looked at her painfully and said, his face turning to the darkening sky as the night approached and dawn died, "Why would he be going there?"

No one answered and the ground shook, the trees spilling with leaves like a blizzard of cold snow. The forest shook like a turbulent sea of deep green and the sky was the only still thing, deep, thick, darkening red, like dry blood, touched by no clouds. Then Sango looked shakily at Miroku, her brown eyes wide. "Do…do you think," she said, voice tremulous, "Could he be going for the bone-eaters' well?"

Miroku looked at her with terror. What if he learned how to use the well and traverse to other times…or if he destroyed it and Kai could never come back?

"Come," said Miroku darkly, looking to the village. "We must not let him get there."

"Could it be him?" asked Sango.

"If it is, we only have the smallest hope of beating him," said Miroku, tugging at his rosary, "but we have no choice."

Sango looked at him silently, anguish on her face, but she could see he was right. What if he had gotten to the well…? She nodded shakily, gulped, and slid open the door of the home.

There inside Shippo stood, looking at her, Shizu on the floor gripping one of her blades, and Kai looking horrified at the ground.

"Shizu, get my Hiraikotsu," said Sango, her voice calm but shaky.

Shizu looked at her both confused and scared, saying "But, Mother—"

"Do what I say!" Sango ordered her, raising her voice and looking at her with an uncharacteristic ferocity. Shizu looked at her mother for a moment, terror on her voice, and then turned away and ran to retrieve her weapon.

Shizu disappeared, Kai looking at where she had vanished, and then turned to see Shippo as he talked to Sango.

"Sango, what's going on?" he asked, barely stable on the shuddering ground.

"Shippo, you have to stay here with Shizu and Kai," Sango answered, looking out of the door anxiously.

"But why? What's going on?" he questioned her, nervous.

Sango, still turned away from him, said somberly, "I don't know…but we have to go to the village. You stay here with Shizu and Kai."

"Is it a demon?" asked Shippo, rushing over to her. She looked at him anxiously for a moment, biting her lip, and then Shizu rushed back into the room. Kai saw her holding a humungous boomerang in her hands, looking nervously at Sango.

Sango took the sash of the boomerang and slung it over her shoulder, looking out the door and into the room again and again, worry plainly on her face.

"M-mother, what's happening?" asked Shizu, twisting her hands in her lap and looking tentatively at Sango.

"Stay here with Shippo and Kai, Shizu," said Sango, her back turned on them.

"But why—"

"Sango!" said Shippo, looking at her determinedly. Exiting the door, she turned her head to see him from her shoulder, her eyes anxious an afraid.

"What's going on?" asked Shippo determinedly, his eyes narrowed beneath his brows and his fists clenched.

Sango looked at him anxiously. She would take him, as he had gone to their many battles before, but…

"You have to take care of Shizu and Kai. We don't know what's happening, but we're going to find out."

She said this with a pleading in her voice and deep concern in her eyes. Shippo looked at the fraction of her face he could see, biting his gum and sweat beading his brow. Sango looked at him for a moment longer and then disappeared through the door.

"Kirara!" she said in the open land, Miroku with her. The ground shaking, the small cat leapt onto the space and was consumed in flame. A moment later she was transformed into what looked like a lion with flame and giant fangs.

Sango leapt onto her with her boomerang, not in her demon-slaying outfit but a yukata, and Miroku wrapped his arms around her waist behind her. Miroku cast one last glance at the shack and then the two ascended, flying quickly over the brush to the village.

Shippo, Shizu, and Kai watched them leave as they got onto the porch, the brush shaking, the ground shuddering, and the sky a deep, blood red. Shippo watched them moments after he could no longer see them, fiercely with an uncharacteristic bravery that had grown in place of his cowardliness when Kagome and Inuyasha had left. He could feel Shizu's worried gaze on him and Kai looking terrified at the land.

"Wha..." said Shizu, barely standing, "what's going on? Shippo…"

"I don't know," said Shippo, his fists clenched. "But it must be something…"

"Could it be Naraku?" Shizu suddenly asked, looking at him.

Shippo's eyes widened as he stared into the distance of the village. He thought nothing; all it was was just utter blankness.

"It has to be him!" said Shizu, staring at Shippo fervently. The thought of that man that cursed her family, herself, who would be the death of her own father...

"Is it him, Shippo? Are mother and father going after him?" said Shizu, so quickly he could barely catch the words. "Is he going to the village? Him? Nara—"

"I don't know, Shizu," said Shippo plainly and honestly, but he had the strangest feeling…

Kai watched Shizu question the kitsune as Shippo stood, gripping the house to support him as the ground shook dangerously. He could smell and sense something…something. It was strange; the scent; like smelling a food. But the scent hurt his nose and made him wrinkle it; it smelled awful and made him want to vomit, the foul and revolting scent of burning flesh and putrid smoke.

But something made his body shiver, as if from the cold. It was as if he could sense something subconsciously, like it was calling out to him. But he couldn't feel it with his hands, or hear it, or smell it; he couldn't explain it; he could just sense it.

"We have to go to the village, Shippo!" said Shizu, grasping the sleeve of his arm.

"What?" asked Shippo with alarm.

She looked at him determinedly, as if nothing could change her mind, saying, "We have to go to the village, Shippo. Mother and Father must have gone after him; this can't have been an ordinary demon. Come on Shippo, please, we have to!"

"You heard Sango!" Shippo told her. "She told us to stay here!"

"But we have to! You can't tell me you'll wait here! What if something happens?" said Shizu desperately.

"We'll have to stay! Plus, I can barely fight and you're barely experienced!"

"But Shippo, please, what if their…what if…"

Shizu trailed off; the thought in her mind couldn't be said and it made her cold. It couldn't happen, it was impossible, nothing like that could happen. But it made her only want to get to them more, to help fight somehow.

"Please Shippo!" Shizu begged him, tugging his sleeve. "Hasn't Inuyasha been looking for him for all this time? Hasn't he? We have to get him, this is the only—"

"Don't talk 'bout him!" Shippo snapped at her, his eyes alight with hate. Shizu froze, shuddering as he glared at her. She looked at him fearfully for a moment and then turned to the ground, tears almost in her eyes as she narrowed them and bit her lip bitterly. Shippo looked at her for a moment as she lowered her head and then continued with; "besides, we wouldn't be of any help, at least not you both without barely any experience. You'd only be liabilities."

Shizu continued not to turn her face to him. She couldn't look at him or tears would come painfully to her eyes. "B-but…but what if mom…and father…what if their…k-kill—"

"They won't die!" said Shippo determinedly. "They can't; they've fought Naraku more than once."

"B-but…but what if father uses his…?"

"He won't! He knows 'bout the consequences of usin' it," said Shippo, but his stomach dropped.

"We h-have to go Shippo! Please, Shippo, please!" Shizu begged him. Shippo turned to her, prepared to say; "what help will we be?" but he saw something uncharacteristic; tears in Shizu's eyes. She was so strong, refusing to admit weakness, refusing help, fiery and optimistic. Was she really that worried?

Shippo turned away from her, hesitating and chewing his lip. For a moment the darkness looked upon him as he thought anxiously, torn between two thoughts.

"Fine," he said as Shizu tried to hide the tears barely apparent in her brown eyes. "But we watch form the distance."

Shizu looked at him, close to smiling, and then felt the earth give a sudden lurch. Shippo's stomach leapt in surprise and then he ran onto the open space.

"Transform!" he shouted and in a cloud of smoke he disappeared, replaced with a giant pink balloon with eyes and a mouth (some things never change.)

Kai looked at him in awe, gripping the ground. He couldn't register it in time when Shizu grabbed his wrist, tugging him down the steps of the creaking wooden porch. They barely kept their balance; it was like walking on a wooden board that was unstable and shaking, as if it would break. As they leapt down, they ran to Shippo in the open space, who was saying hurriedly, "c'mon, c'mon!"

"W-wait! Why…why are you taking me too?" asked Kai as they ran, tripping on his feet on the trembling ground beneath him.

"Don't you want to come too? I thought…you'd want to fight," said Shizu, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"B-but how do you know…that I w-wont be a burden…or someone you just need protect…?"

Shizu was silent for a moment. As they reached Shippo, she let go off his wrist, her hand non Shippo's pink balloon-like body. Kai looked at her, frightened, nervous, and feeling pathetic. That was right; he was only a burden, a liability, some boy she had met, saved, and taken in because he was Kagome's son. He…he was also one of the reasons that man had left Kagome, causing her so much pain. Inuyasha…

"I..." said Shizu, the ground crumbling and shuddering beneath her. "I…don't know why…but in just this small time…I trust you. Don't you want to see him…the man who tore your mother and father apart?"

Kai froze, stunned by her words. It didn't feel like the ground was on the verge of breaking; it felt still.

Shizu ascended Shippo; it was as if climbing onto a balloon that molded under your touch. Hard it was to climb him, they got on and felt Shippo lift.

"Hold on!" he said and they soared over the brush.

Kai tightly clasped Shizu's waist, as if it were the only thing that kept him from falling into the brush and crashing to his death. He felt sick with nerves, anxiety, and fear. It was painful to be this way.

Shizu looked straight ahead as they sped forward on the bid pink blob, her Magattaha at her waist wrapped in bandaging. Kai could only feel pure fear; demons, men who were worse…he didn't know how to fight. He didn't want to see rich, deep red blood spill before him again; it struck him like a blade and made him sick and quiver.

Was this man actually going to appear? Naraku…who caused everything…

…

Kirara hurried through the air, the scent hitting her nostrils and the flame lighting the sky like the approaching daylight. Atop her sat Sango, clutching her mane, and Miroku with his staff at hand. They hurried forward, getting closer and closer to the village ahead, where the smoke and scent of rotting flesh thickened.

"He certainly did not waste any time. Kai has barely been in this time for two days." said Miroku, the wind whipping his face and sending his bangs into his eyes.

"But what's he planning?" said Sango, the boomerang bone on her shoulder.

"He's been searching Japan for the final shard, but without Kagome's or Kikyo's powers…its useless."

"Could he know…could he know then that Kai is…?" Sango stopped, because the answer was written on Miroku's face.

"He couldn't know," said Miroku defiantly, though with a shade of doubt in his voice.

"I hope so," said Sango worriedly and they headed forward.

…

"Master Inuyasha, where do you plan to go?"

"To the village! His scent is thick there!"

Inuyasha sped down the mountains, leaping form the precipices that any human would die attempting, crashing to their deaths on the rocks below. The wind whipped his face, hardened by years, but his scent was clear; Naraku was coming, Naraku had to be there.

_Damn him! Damn him to hell! _

Inuyasha hurried down the rocky incline of mountain on the soles of his callused feet. The Tetsusaiga shivered at his hip, quaking, but never to be pulled and awakened into its true form. Not that its masters care fro humans, any, was lost.

Myoga clung frantically to his hair as he leapt down the mountain side. He was too far from the village; even though he would make more than half the time a human would on horses, he still couldn't make it that far from the past-day Japan.

"Please Master! You'll never make it, even with your speed!" Myoga pleaded him, tightly clinging to a silvery strand.

"I know that!" Inuyasha growled at him.

"Than to what purpose are you go—"

"Even if I can't beat him to the village, I'll find him and I'll kill him, I won't rest 'til I kill him!"

Inuyasha's voice made the rocks shake and caused the gravel to slide under his feet. Myoga fearfully shrank back, saying nothing. And Inuyasha headed forward, heading as fast as he could from the wounds in battling one of Japan's greatest armies, down the rocky mountain side. The blood had dried and his wounds, though deep, were beginning to heal. Inuyasha hurried down, so different from the days of 14 years past; stronger, colder, more powerful, more mature with older, more handsome features, but colder, uncaring, with no emotions but anger and coldness, and no mercy, willing to spill human blood.

Myoga looked at him with his wide eyes, but made no attempt to say anything. He only looked ahead and knew the worst would come.

…

"It's strong there," said Sesshomaru, looking into the east. Rin lay on Un and Ah, close to reaching the extent of them. Jaken held the reins of the two beasts in his small hands, looking inquiringly at Sesshomaru.

"What, my lord?" He asked as Rin slept in the rising day.

"The demonic aura," Sesshomaru answered coldly. "Naraku's scent…"

Sesshomaru suddenly hurried forward, leaping below the light of the rising sun, Jaken calling frantically after him, "Wait, Lord Sesshomaru!"

…

"What the—"

Kirara roared in pain, sending her dense shout ringing through the air. Demons, similar to soul-skimmers but their flesh a dark red and their claws not holding human souls, flew at Kirara, cutting her underside with their fangs.

Kirara staggered in the air, sending Miroku and Sango clinging abruptly to her, and then began to descend shakily to the ground.

"Kirara!" Sango cried, clinging to her cat-demon's mane of cream hair.

Beneath the forest had faded and the village came into view, in plain sight as Miroku and Sango fell from the sky. They could see it; it was an army of demons, the red soul-skimmers tearing at the villagers with their talons and fangs; ogres 10 feet tall, slashing away at the men, woman and children, causing blood to spill on the ground, and many other demons.

Kirara continued to descend, the poisonous claws of the red-soul-skimmers making her throb and disoriented. Sango clutched her pet's mane and her boomerang bone, looking ahead and preparing for the crash. Miroku held his staff to his chest and had one arm around Sango's waist.

Flames of black rose form the village rooftops and shrines, causing the air to be filled with the disgusting scent of blood, rotting flesh, and burning skin. The screams of the villagers filled the air, mixing with the smoke and flame. The dead lay on the ground, blood pooling around their bodies and some corpses burning in the burning houses; the few survivors, the women and children that had been protected by the men and the scarce men left, ran, screamed, fought, and tried to flee.

Sango clutched Kirara, holding her companion and felling her burn up as the poison began to quickly and strongly circulate.

She suddenly heard the shuffle of robes and looked behind her to see Miroku gathering a handful of paper charms. He held them and they began to burn at their edges with what looked like flames.

Muttering under his breath, Miroku tossed the paper charms to the ground as they hurtled down to it on Kirara. The paper charms made it to the ground before them as the wind whistled over their ears and wind whipped their faces.

The air resounded with a BANG!

The sound was almost deafening and the ground where the paper charms had been thrown had been blown up. A huge cloud of dust floated over it where the ground and paper charms had exploded. Kirara fell into the dense, thick cloud of dust where the ground had exploded and hit the ground, Miroku holding onto Sango and Sango clasping her neck and mane.

They tumbled onto what felt like sand. Kirara hit it on her side, Miroku and Sango thrown off of her. They felt themselves hit what felt like sand hard where the paper charms exploded, tumbling into it when they fell from Kirara.

They could see nothing inside the cloud of dust and dirt. The charms had made the ground turn to rubble, breaking it to pieces in the explosion. It felt like they fell into sand as they cloud of dust began to fade.

Sango brought her mask to her face after coughing up dust and dirt. Her body only vaguely ached from the fall from the sky. She could hear Miroku by her from his coughs, and Kirara from her deep, jagged breathing. It took a while before she felt his arms lift her form the sand and bring her on her knees on the hard ground.

She fell to the ground as he brought her onto the ground, coughing out of her mask. The cloud of dust was beginning to fade.

Sango looked up to see Miroku with his arm over his mouth, holding his shakujo. The side of his face was scratched with dirt, and he squinted through the dust. Kirara lay half in the sand and on the hard ground, blood dripping from her underside, where she had been wounded earlier.

"What…the…?" said Sango weakly, trying to stagger onto her feet.

As she stood up, she swayed from the impact of the fall. She couldn't stand; the ground shook beneath her. Sango suddenly felt herself topple backwards, unable to stand.

"Here,"

Sango felt herself fall into the arms of someone. She could barely look up to see Miroku supporting her, holding her up.

"Are you alright?" asked Miroku, staring through the disappearing dust and smoke.

"I'm fine," Sango answered, staggering up from his arms until she was standing on her own.

She followed Miroku's eyes through the fading smoke until the shadows of things finally became visible; red soul-skimmers were streaming through the air with human blood dripping from their fangs and mouths, and larger oni, ogres, and other demons slashing at the villagers, the only few that were left.

But it wasn't the sight of the manslaughter that caught Miroku or Sango's attention. It was the sight of two things:

In the fading dust, rising smoke and flame stood two creatures that looked like humans. One was a woman, who looked so much alike yet so different from the half-demon she had been from. She had long hair that was clear and had the texture of water, streaked with dark-brown strands. She wore the same outfit as her, except for the wisteria and the long, thin fan slung over her shoulder, like a sword. Her only memories were clear, sharp, and the only reason she existed:

_A man with long black hair, red eyes and a pale voice spoke, "You are the child of Naraku, your master. He is your only purpose for living. You serve only under his will. You will kill on his wishes…you will be wounded on them. Kanna… is the name of your sister and Kagura…is your name."_

Beside her was what looked like a shadow; the man from her few memories. Unlike the other demon, aged by the Shikon jewel, he had remained the same. He appeared to be a human, with long, flowing black hair and a deathly pale complexion with narrowed red eyes. He had no weaponry; only a jewel around his neck complete for all but a small shard, smaller than a wooden sliver. Its once shining gleam was gone and it was only one color; black.

They could not recognize the woman but they knew the man's name. He looked the same as before, with the same intentions as before.

Sango caught the sling of her boomerang in her hands, not breathing and Miroku held his staff.

The dust and smoke had faded from the ground and there were the two figures shown:

Kagura-reborn and Naraku.

**We're really, really sorry this chapter came out late (really!) but we hope you still enjoyed. Here the fight is finally going to begin. Sorry Kagome didn't come this time, but she'll come the next chapter. We realized it was going to be too long to fit it in, but the next chapter things will happen, bet on it.**

**Oh yeah, we're still really sorry this chapter came out late, but the next will be worth the wait!**


	8. Chapter 7: Power

**Wow, we're only on the seventh chapter…aw well, things will speed up soon. Anyways, here comes the next chapter of **_**When Bonds Are Broken**_**, hope you enjoy and thanks for continuing to read AnimeGirls' works!**

…

"Hurry up, Shippo!"

"Look, I'm going as fast as I can!"

"We're going to miss everything!"

"Well, you're not the pink balloon carrying two whelps to their _deaths_! No need to rush!"

Shizu refrained from poking Shippo with the tip of her Magattaha, Kai imagining her popping him like a balloon and him streaking through the air as he burst. That was the only comfort as they sped over the ground, hurrying through the still red skies to the village. Kai could smell sharply the scent of something putrid and smoke and wrinkled his nose.

Being only eight-years-old, he couldn't really think about dying, being eaten by demons or slashed by fangs and talons (painfully either). But terror still clutched him, making it hard to breath and almost impossible to hear or see anything.

Naraku was there but what did he want? Who was he…?

"I hope mother and father are alright," said Shizu concernedly, looking into the distance.

"They'll be fine," said Shippo in his morphed voice just like his transformed body. "They've battled Naraku a'hundred times before. Now's not going to be any different."

As Shippo said this, he knew the lie in his words. It would be different. They had fought him a hundred times before, but not when all trace of human blood had disappeared or before he became this powerful…

"Yeah…they'll be fine…" said Shizu, reassuring herself, "and this time…he'll die…and everything will be alright…father's Wind Tunnel will disappear… and he'll live…and this world will heal."

"Don't be too hopeful," said Shippo at her words. "Miracles don't happen much here."

"But Kai came here," said Shizu determinedly. "That must mean something!"

"Well, I wont get my hopes up," Shippo said and they continued forward.

…

"Ah…" came his cool, cold voice. His voice also did not change; neither did the cruelness or the bloodlust.

Naraku stepped forward and the sole of his foot splashed in a puddle of red, pooling blood near several corpses and severed limbs. The air around him was as red as the ground and the screams and cries continued on.

The village seemed to be aflame; demons were running about and streaming through the air, human blood smeared on the bodies and mouths. Flames continued to rise from homes, only very few left not in white ashes along the bloody ground.

Miroku and Sango could feel the burning flesh and it still made them sick, even after all these years.

Naraku had come to the closeness of them where they could see every figure of him clearly; the smirking face, narrow red eyes, lashing black hair, and the human appearance. He wore the outfit of a ruler general, the armor over his shoulders, breastplate splattered with blood on his chest, and the jewel almost hidden under his collar.

The sound of splashing continued to ring with the screams and cries of villagers, slashing of demon talons as Naraku, made his way through the pools of blood.

"…these are two faces I have not encountered for a while. Ten…no, it's been longer than a decade, hasn't it?"

Naraku first watched the demon slayer for a moment longer, her chest savagely pounding as she glared at the man before Kirara, and then Naraku's eyes turned to Miroku.

"…the monk," he said coolly, his cold voice sending the air cold with the sound of crackling flame and screams. "I am surprised that you haven't been sucked into the hellhole yet, like your ancestors."

Miroku said nothing, remaining still, but Sango could tell that he was burning with rage. His hand released the staff and edged for the palm clenching it, the one with the Wind Tunnel.

"No!" shouted Sango at him, taking her eyes of Naraku's red ones.

Miroku flinched, turning to see Sango, and Naraku gave a cold smile.

He almost chuckled, his voice as it always was, tainted with malice. "Ah…I see. No longer using the Wind Tunnel? So close to death…?"

Naraku stepped closer and Miroku and Sango stiffened still tightly clutching, their weapons, and ready to attack.

The woman behind him looked upon the scene, Miroku and Sango completely oblivious to who she was besides one of Naraku's demons…or who she _had_ been.

"Fearing death…is that why your hanyou friend had vanished? Has he gone into hiding? And the reincarnation girl Kagome, has she gone as well? I don't recall killing her…not yet."

"Shut the hell up!" Shouted Sango and sent her boomerang bone speeding through the air, directed at Naraku, yearning to tear him apart and let his blood spill onto the ground, like he had done to so many others.

The boomerang bone stopped as Naraku caught it, Sango flinching. He held it in his hands, as if he had caught something as light and delicate as a butterfly's wing.

"I wouldn't be so naïve to attack, with strength as weak as yours. You don't really believe you can kill me… all I need is the final shard to complete the Jewel. And destroy you all."

With lightning fast movement, Naraku drew the boomerang bone over his head and swung it at Sango. The force and quickness of which it flew was deathly. It seemed to fly through the air so quickly that Sango could barely see it shooting at her.

"Sango!" shouted Miroku as he barely caught the weapon's movement, soaring at her.

Sango only had a moment to react as she saw Miroku leap in front of her, holding his staff, and catching the boomerang bone of the shaft.

The boomerang clung to the staff, so deeply cut into the staff that it was barely kept in two pieces. Miroku held it before him, over Sango, as the staff almost broke.

"Mi-Miro...ku," Sango gasped, almost too surprised to speak.

His body was quivering form the force of the blow, the staff almost broken in half, and the bone shaking, like an arrow just lodged into an object.

"Die," said Naraku coldly and slashed his hand through the air. The demons that had been feasting on humans and burning the village suddenly changed course and leapt at Miroku and Sango. Miroku tore his staff from the boomerang bone imbedded in it, and the bone fell to the ground. Sango caught its sling and sent it soaring through the air at the swarm of air-borne demons hurtling at them.

The boomerang slashed through the air and demons, tearing them apart and letting blood rain to the ground, over the woman, Naraku, Miroku, and Sango.

The woman watched, wiping the blood from her eyes and letting it lace her lashes.

The demons were like a giant cloud of swarming blackness, filling the air and hiding the red light falling over the village in smoke and ruins. The boomerang bone soared back to the Sango, sending blood still flying through the air. The sudden rain of blood stopped, pooling the ground as demons continued to come at Miroku and Sango.

Miroku, clutching his broken staff, threw paper charms at the ogres charging at them; the stuck to them tightly, crackling like embers. Then, in a boom that resounded through the air, they exploded like bombs. The flesh of the ogres burst apart and blood continued to spurt into the air.

Naraku watched, letting the blood splatter him.

The woman held her humongous fan over her head, like an umbrella, shielding her from the red rain.

More demons lunged at Miroku and Sango; red soul-skimmers, lurking ogres, some taller than the houses, and oni.

Sango drew her boomerang behind her back, and flung it through the air with as much force as she could muster. It continued to slash and tear the demons soaring through the air, sending the debris of their flesh and blood to the ground. They collapsed to the ground in the forms of severed, twitching flesh, blood and gore spilling around them. The smell of flame continued to wind through the air, with the smell of blood and burning flesh. Sango could feel warm rain shower her; warm, red rain in the form of blood.

The ogres and oni continued to surge before Naraku, at Miroku and Sango. Kirara lay behind Sango, struggling to get up onto her fours but the loss of blood was great and the poison circulating through her body.

Miroku drew more paper charms from his robes and tossed them at the demons as they exploded, burst, and blew the demons apart. But as their flesh tore and blood streamed, what looked like vapors rose from their corpses' debris.

"Miasma!" cried Sango, grasping at her gas mask.

The vapors began to stream through the air, mixing with the smoke and pungent aroma of flesh burning. It was a scent that made Miroku sick to their stomachs and close to retching…the scent of miasma and burning flesh.

Miroku raised his sleeve over his face, breathing into the cloth and drew several red beads from his robe; he tossed the beads into the air, and they flew like bullets through the ogres and oni. But they didn't stop, staggering only slightly from the holes in their bodies, and continued to charge forward.

The red soul-skimmers streamed through the air, twisting in the smoke and charging down at the two humans.

Sango sent her boomerang once against flying through the air and it slashed through the demons' flesh, but not all of them. They still swarmed down, ignoring the raining blood, and bared their fangs at Sango.

Sango put her arms before her as guards and the red soul-skimmers sunk their teeth into her skin. As the blood spurted from her arms and the fabric tore under their fangs, blades suddenly jutted from under her sleeves and slashed the demons in half. They fell to the ground and she slashed the others around her, the boomerang bone soaring back at her as it cut through more demons.

"Should I fight?" asked the woman, Kagura-reborn, her voice changed from before, like her appearance and memories. She held her fan over her head, blood splattering it; it was humungous, about the size of Sango's boomerang.

"No," said Naraku coldly, watching as Miroku and Sango continued to fight. "Let this continue a little longer…then you may fight."

The women said and did nothing. Her eyes reflected the red blood, falling, showering like abrupt rain, pooling along the ground.

The demons seemed endless, some still feeding on the villagers, all nearly gone as they tried in vain to flee and fight. The red soul-skimmers eyes glowed like jewels of blood, widening as they separated their jaws to show the rows of sharp teeth and two jutting fangs.

Sango drew the sling of her boomerang back, trying not to let her fingers slip on the blood along the cloth. With a deep, whishing sound, the bone tore through the air, Naraku watching it idly. It pierced the moving, streaming clouds and rain in the form of blood fell down, and the corpses torn apart. The blood seemed to continuously pour, the demons seemed to endlessly come, and nothing seemed to decrease their numbers.

The ground shook violently as they ogres ands oni ran across the land heading at them.

Sango caught her boomerang in her hands, the blades still jutting from her sleeves.

The ogres and oni howled madly, drawing back their talons. Their eyes bulged, blank of anything but the pulsing red veins.

Miroku drew back his staff as they charged forward, the ground shaking beneath them, and grasped at something inside his robes. He drew a red rosary and tossed it at the surrounding at the charging oni and ogres, the rosary twisting in mid-air and finding its way around a group of demons like a snake. It enlarged as it made them collapse and began to strangle them.

"Kirara!" cried Sango as she slashed her way through the swarm of land-borne oni and ogres.

The cat demon had risen to join the fight and was tearing at any demon she could get to with her fangs. But, even though she was fighting ferociously, her legs trembled and she was slow to react. Blood pooled beneath her from her previous wound.

"Don't get distracted," said Naraku, watching coldly.

Sango suddenly turned around as she heard him to see three immense ogres over her, splattered in blood, raising their arms to bring their claws down on her.

"Sango!" shouted Miroku.

Sango felt the demons tear at her flesh as she tried to avoid, but too late. A sudden intense pain stabbed at her and then she felt blood spurt from her arms and side and her body thrown to the ground, skidding off the dirt with the force of a car swerving through the streets after being hit.

Miroku whipped his head around to see her strewn across the ground, her dark hair tangled around her and the dust around her faded and blood oozed from her wounds. He couldn't see her face, but in that moment he could see her tremulous body and breath.

Kirara roared, her mouth and muzzle smeared in blood, and sped through the swarm of demons to Sango. She flashed through the bodies of ogres and oni, letting her fangs wander into their flesh, and leapt in front of Sango.

Sango lay, feebly trying to get up, but almost unconscious. The blood around her bloomed like red flowers in her robe and seeped from her torn skin.

More red burst through the air and soaked the sky.

The soul-skimmers burst in mid-air as the paper charms clinging to them exploded, sending more and more red to the ground. More continued to twist in the sky and flit through the air, piercing the smoke and fumes.

Miroku rushed over to Sango, fighting through the army of demons. His staff, almost in two pieces, obliged in cutting through the flesh of the demons in its way and sent the golden rings aglitter with scarlet. Miroku could feel the soles of his sandals trace their way through mud and blood, and could feel the sensation of his weapon cutting through the flesh of his enemies.

Miroku stopped running as he made his way to Sango, who was still unconscious and Kirara attempted to pull her onto her back. Kirara had Sango leaning against her furry body, struggling to push her onto her.

Miroku watched Kirara try to support her for a moment, and then attempted to help, putting his arms under Sango's. As he touched her, he felt her suddenly flinch and her voice came out weakly.

"I'm…I'm fine. Naraku's right. Don't…get distracted." She breathed feebly, struggling in Miroku's arms.

Miroku looked at her concernedly for a moment, but then felt the presences of several oni behind him. Whipping around, he drew his staff and slashed at the oni, throwing paper charms and letting them burst upon the demons. The oni cried and, staggering with blood spilling from their wounds, fell to the ground, crumpling in heaps. And the other demons continued to attack.

As the demons charged at them and Miroku parried their blows, Kirara managed to struggle Sango onto her back and ran off. Sango clutched Kirara's neck with one arm as they sped through the army of demons, while the other uselessly hung and dangled at her side, dripping blood.

"Run all you like," said Naraku, watching idly. "It won't matter at this point."

He raised his arm to the sky, his armor glinting off the dust and little light piercing the cloud of demons. He then dropped his arm, pointing to the battle, and the demons followed it, suddenly plunging form the sky to the fight going on below.

Kirara danced her way through the oni and ogres slashing at her, Sango barely staying on top of her and sometimes sliding to the point where she almost fell to the ground. Her head throbbed and she felt the blood drip from her wounds, throbbing and throbbing. She could barely turn her head to see Miroku fighting of the humungous oni and ogres.

Then the red soul-skimmers plummeted at her, diving and shrieking as they bore their fangs. Kirara flinched suddenly hearing them and turned her orange eye to see the demons diving at them from the sky.

She suddenly swerved, sending Sango shouting with surprise and grasping onto her neck tightly with her one arm desperately as Kirara maneuvered through the crowd of demons and away from the soul-skimmers. Kirara's paws twisted in the red dirt, her body slamming against the oni and ogres, and her owner clinging desperately to her. Everything around them blurred as they sped and streaked through the demons, swerving and skidding of the dirt.

"Ki…K-Kirara…!" Sango managed to shout, hoping the demon would hear her over the blurred din of her movements.

Kirara ignored her shout and continued to maneuver through the crowd. The demons bodies slammed against her, sending her skidding against the dirt and sharply turning elsewhere.

Sango clung to her neck and struggled to straighten up, to slash away at the demons. Her arm, dripping with blood, continued to dangle at her side, and her hair flew everywhere in Kirara's rapid movements and sudden turns. Gripping her body tightly, Sango endeavored to heave herself up. She sat up, still holding onto Kirara tightly and drew her only usable arm before her. Kirara's body jumped and shook and Sango fought to keep her sitting position atop her.

The red soul-skimmers, finally reaching them, clawed at Sango from on top of Kirara. Sango slashed them with the blade projecting from her arm, fighting against their talons and fangs and slashed at them, sending them in pieces to the ground. The droplets of blood sprinkled her and Kirara, still fighting through the crowd.

Miroku skidded across the ground and fell on the dirt, dust clouding him as he sat on his knees. He could barely breathe; he held his staff as a support, the only thing keeping him barely standing, and he clutched the wound across his chest. Blood ran down his robes and sweat beaded his face as his breath left him in shallow, jagged gasps.

The dust faded and he found more oni and ogres before him with their fists and talons bared.

"There are too much…" Miroku gasped, staggering up and slashing his staff at them. The staff caught their flesh but the force of it did not cut through them. The demon it hit fell back, skidding along the dirt, but the other demons remained and sent their talons at Miroku. Miroku barely reacted in time to parry their blows, but the force sent him flying across the ground. He fell back, gasping as his lay in the bloodied dirt, coughing and gasping.

The woman watched, her red eyes still scanning the scene.

Kirara toppled to the ground as the bodies of ogres slammed against her, Sango toppling down with her. The two lay on the ground, Sango trying to get up, but barely managing to struggle.

"This will end soon enough," said Naraku coolly and stepped forward.

…

"Hey, are you okay?"

Shizu was staring at Kai, as he shook and looked queasily at the ground.

"Nervous?" she asked him.

"This smell…" he whispered.

"What?" said Shizu.

Kai opened his mouth in an attempt to answer, but at that moment clutched his hands to his mouth, struggled over to the side of Shippo, and was sick.

"Hey, hey!" shouted Shippo. "Don't retch on me!"

Shizu crawled over to Kai on the edge of Shippo and, looking concernedly at him, and put a gentle hand on his back.

Kai, sweat beading his forehead and wiping the back of his hand over his mouth, felt Shizu's hand and shuddered.

"You okay?" she asked gently.

Kai, shaking, turned to look at her. Why were her eyes so gentle?

"…this scent...is making me sick…" he said weakly, not looking at her.

"What scent?" said Shizu.

"I…don't know…but it's awful…" said Kai weakly.

Shizu could feel him shaking and her expression softened to concern.

"Just…" she said softly, putting her arm around Kai's shoulder and giving him a squeeze, "just be okay."

"How am I supposed to be okay when some kids puking on me?" said Shippo.

"I wasn't talking to you!" said Shizu, digging her heel into him.

Kai felt the world rock back and forth, his body shake, and the only thing comforting around his shoulders. The scent entering his nostrils was making him sick; it made his stomach turn and he hugged his knees to himself.

Maybe he was nervous too…?

Where was his mother when he needed her? When he wanted to cry and fall onto her lap and hear her say, "Everything's going to be alright"?

But he wasn't with his mother and he wasn't sure when he'd ever be reunited with her. He was in a different time, in a different world. He didn't have anyone…not Kagome, not Sota, not Mrs. Higurashi, not Jii-chan…not even the father he never knew.

"You'll be alright," Shizu whispered to him gently, squeezing his with her arm.

"Yer probably just air-sick," said Shippo, soaring through the air.

"……………air-sick." said Shizu and she looked at him stonily, as if she had not seen something as stupid.

"Yeah," said Shippo. "Air-sick."

There was silence.

"How stupid can you get?!" Shizu shouted at him right by Kai's ear, causing him to jump.

Kai clutched Shippo, lying flat on him in fear.

"I was kidding! Besides, I can smell it too y'know, and the scents awful, burning flesh, smoke, and river of human and demons blood everywhere."

"Good time to joke around." Said Shizu, her arms crossed.

Shippo started to shout at her, Shizu crossing her arms as Kai watched them. The scent he could still smell clearly and it was getting stronger as they approached the village. Closer to the well.

…

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

There was only the noise of breathing, the heavy huffing of the weary demon slayer and monk.

Sango clutched her shoulder, feeling the blood ooze from her wound and the blood that already splattered her. Her boomerang bone was still tight in her grasp as she carried it, her breathing deep.

Miroku held his staff tight. It was barely kept together, and the rings around it chimed, golden and red. He could feel his chest heave and the scratches along his body. He still held his robed arm to his face, not daring to breath in the miasma.

The demons continued to charge at them, baring their fangs and claws.

Miroku drew his tired arm into his robe and pulled out more charms, throwing them into the air. The demons tried to slash them away with their claws, but they clung to them tightly and, smoke issuing as if the charms were burning, exploded. Once again the ogres and oni burst into pieces and their flesh strew across the ground. Blood fell everywhere.

As the blood fell, Miroku fell to his knees, unable to fight any longer.

Kirara supported Sango, who fell against her side with blood smeared over her face. But as Sango lay upon her, she felt her strength give out, the world tremble, and she collapsed with Sango to the ground.

The demons, still multitudes left, began to run at the fallen fighters, the soul-skimmers diving from the sky and the ogres and oni making the ground tremble as they rushed with their talons bared.

Feet away from the fighters a blade of wind suddenly sliced through the battle field and slashed the hoard of demon. With cries of anguish, the demons spurted blood and fell apart as the wind blades cut through them, and then fell to the ground.

"Do not kill them." said Naraku coldly after the blades of wind sent the demons falling. "Not yet "

The demons frozen in place, Naraku began to walk his way through the hoard into what used to be woods. The trees had long since been extinguished and what only remained was a well and tree.

Miroku lay, struggling to get back up, and Sango was strewn across the ground unconscious.

Naraku continued to walk coldly through the hoard of demons and beneath the red soul-skimmers streaming through the sky, the soles of his feet splashing in the pools of red. All the screaming had died and only the smell of blood and smoke remained.

Miroku struggled to heave himself up from the ground, his staff clutched in one of his hands. Blood dripped from his chest onto the ground, with the sound of rain drops gently falling, and his body trembled with each breath.

The woman did not follow him but remained, her red eyes reflecting the bloody scenery and the fallen demons and warriors.

Naraku had made his way through the dead forest, where the trees were gone and only the scent of white ash and smoke remained. The soles of his feet traced the red blood they had made their way through so many times, and his red eyes scanned the scenery. A cold smiled crept through his lips.

He now stood before the well, beneath the Gishonboku, which still stood as tall as it once did but its leaves now sere and grey. He watched the bone-eaters well coldly, smiling maliciously, and then moved his hand towards it.

With a lightning fast movement, the staff flew into the side of the well, so close to Naraku's hand approaching it that it could have speared it through. Still quivering as it jutted from the well, Naraku watched the staff for a moment and then grabbed its shaft, stopping its trembling immediately in his grasp.

Naraku turned back as he grabbed the staff out of the well, slivers of wood erupting from its side as he quickly drew it. He was glaring at Miroku.

"Don't deceive yourself into thinking you can stop me…if you still think so. What power do you think you have?"

Naraku, holding the staff before him, suddenly snapped it in two. The staff fell out of his hands and shards of the wood dropped silently to the ground, its rings dully sounding. Miroku watched as it fell in halves, the slivers on the ground.

"You have no power." said Naraku, his eyes leaving the staff he snapped effortlessly in two. "Besides that Wind Tunnel I placed upon you, you have no power."

Miroku, glaring at him for a moment as he still struggled to stand, said in a low voice, "What…do you want?"

Naraku glared at him, his red eyes alight with malice.

"Why have you come here?" said Miroku quietly, gripping his dripping wound.

"For the same reason I am searching to complete the Shikon Jewel; power." Naraku answered coldly.

"Power…?" said Miroku, weary and clutching the gash in his chest.

Naraku's hand lingered beside the well, still not touching it or tracing its wooden frame. "Many great powers have come from this village; the priestess Kikyo for example…and her younger sister Kaede. And then came the reincarnation girl, Kagome, came here. This was the place that hanyou was freed from his eternal slumber…"

"I do not intend to cross the well to the other time, if that's what you were thinking…no, even though I am fully able to, I cannot. Before her death, Kaede placed a seal upon this well, making it impossible for the demon Naraku to use it."

"Then… why did you come here?" said Miroku, feeling the sinister aura around him. "You make this speech… of power but you cannot cross the well… to reach it."

"That's not it," said Naraku coldly. He walked away from the well, glaring upon the two fallen warriors. "I know what had happened here, I know what will. The child, where is he?"

"What?"

"I know the child of that hanyou and reincarnation has traversed times, to here. I know he is in this time. Now, where is he?"

Miroku was silent, his eyes wide. He knew Kai was here than…?

"He is here then." said Naraku coldly at his reaction.

"Why…would you want him?" said Miroku, still breathing hard.

"He may have something I need," said Naraku coolly, and his hand came ton the almost complete Jewel around his neck. Miroku eyes widened and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Naraku turned around, away from Miroku's bewilderment, and reached for the well. At his touch it began to glow with an aura, sparks like electrical currents flickering over it. Naraku still reached for it, watching coldly as the spell around it began to tear away at the flesh of his hand.

Miroku struggled to heave himself up, straining as blood dripped from him, and Sango still lay unconscious.

What sounded like an arrow speeding towards them resounded through the air and Naraku suddenly whipped around, catching in his hand what was a blade, shaped like a boomerang.

Miroku looked in shock at the familiar curved blade and then turned around.

A giant pink balloon descended from the sky, with what looked like two children on top of it.

Miroku realized with mixed shock and fear what was coming.

As the pink balloon reached the ground, it was enveloped in smoke and three figures appeared; Shippo, Shizu, and Kai.

"Father! Mother!" shouted Shizu, seeing Miroku and Sango on the ground, surrounded by the dead bodies of demons and pools of blood.

"Shizu…" whispered Miroku, staring at the three.

"We…we shouldn't be here…what the hell were you thinking, Shizu?!" shouted Shippo at her, seeing the battlefield.

"Don't yell at me—"

"Do you even know what's going on? Do you see Miroku and Sango on the ground? Naraku…Naraku is right here!" He shouted with his eyes wide with fear and anger.

Before Shizu could whip her head around to see Naraku, the ogres and oni suddenly sped at them, baring their talons and teeth.

Shippo leapt in front of Shizu and Kai, both of which were too surprised to react to see the towering, terrifying demons running at them with the intent to kill, and shouted "fox fire!"

Suddenly the ogres and oni were consumed in great flames, burning them as they cried in pain within the embers. Kai watched white-faced, as the oni and ogres burned in the great flames.

"Whoa…"Shizu breathed, the ogres and oni consumed in flame burning in her eyes.

The flames were much greater than what Shippo could make 14 years before. They had grown to consume several demons, and bring them to their deaths in the flames that could make a building fall.

Naraku watched, his red eyes narrowed and looking upon the flames, now licking away themselves and his demons, who had fallen.

Then his eyes turned to him; the boy he was looking for, the child he suspected had the answers; Kai.

Kai stood, wide-eyed and white-faced, too afraid to speak and to barely breathe. What else can you expect from a small eight-year-old boy, thrown into a world of chaos and violence, a world completely different from the one he knew, with monsters he only imagined?

"The hanyou…" Naraku breathed softly.

Kai still stood still, terrified. He could barely blink or breathe when he felt eyes upon him and turned to see Naraku glaring at him.

"Get out of here!" Miroku shouted at them, immobile and unable to even stand.

"W-what…?!" said Shippo, the flames faded and the demons still, waiting for Naraku's command.

"Get away, now!" shouted Miroku again, his heart beating fast. They had to get out of here or—

"Get them," Naraku breathed coldly, his words echoing through the silence. He lifted his arm and pointed to Shippo, Shizu, and Kai.

Suddenly, time had unfrozen. The demons, following his hand to where they saw the three, suddenly caused an earthquake. The ground shook violently as they sped through the battlefield, to Shippo, Shizu, and Kai.

The red soul-skimmers, floating in the sky and twisting like scarlet ribbons, suddenly plunged to the ground. They're teeth, bared, shone and their empty eyes gleamed with murderous intent.

Kai stood frozen, his legs trembling so much they nearly made him fall to his knees on the ground. Shizu grabbed her Magattaha, ready to strike, as they ground trembled and the demons sped at them. They're eyes bulged with empty rage and yearning to kill, to let blood spill over their hands and talons.

A wall of flame, double the height of the demons, exploded through the hoard before Shippo, Shizu, and Kai.

Shizu turned to see Shippo with his arms outstretched, casting the barrier of flames around them. Sweat beaded his brow and the flames twisted and licked the demons, burning them and waves of intense heat scorching their flesh.

"Shizu, we have to leave, now!" He said, still facing the demon hoard.

"What are you talking about?" said Shizu angrily, her Magattaha ready to strike in her hands. "Naraku is here! We need to get mother and father—"

"You don't get it do you?! Naraku will kill us; can't you see what he's done to Miroku and Sango? We're no where near as powerful as him!"

"Well, what do you suggest, abandoning them and the fight? This is our last chance to kill him!"

"You don't get it, there's no way we can kill him! SHIZU!"

Shippo whipped around, seeing Shizu suddenly break away from the group and into the battlefield, sprinting towards Sango and Kirara. As soon as Shippo turned his attention away from the barrier of flame, it burst into a million embers and the ogres and oni suddenly sped at them again.

Shizu pushed her way through the enemies, beneath the legs of the oni and ogres and slashed at them as she ran. Weaving her way through the hoard, she could only see her mother lying in the distance, unconscious with Kirara.

"Stupid—!" said Shippo, part-way between running after Shizu with Kai running behind him and casting flames at the enemies before them and following them. He could see Shizu running, ducking in the army of demons, to Sango and Kirara and slashing at anything in her way.

"Shizu!" shouted Miroku, his heart stopping suddenly. He struggled to get up, but as soon as he rose, he fell to the ground, coughing up blood. The ogres and oni turned to him and kicked him with such force that he was sent skidding along the ground.

"Foolish." Naraku whispered, watching Shippo and Kai chase after Shizu as she fought her way through the demons.

Shizu gripped her Magattaha tightly, but without the other, was at a disadvantage. All she could do was run crouching through the battlefield and slash at whatever she could. Through the demons, she saw Sango and Kirara, and she only sped faster.

Shippo drew two leaves from his robe and tore his eyes away from Shizu.

"That stupid girl—!" He muttered through gritted teeth, and tossed the leaves into the air behind him and before him.

In mid-air, the leaves fluttered down, and then transformed into giant spinners, falling down on the demons coming at them. The demons fell under the weight of the illusion, the giant tops spinning through their skulls and crushing them under their weight.

Kai watched, wide-eyes and in awe.

"Hurry up!" said Shippo, and he tugged at his arm, speeding through the demon hoard.

The curved blade was laced in blood, droplets flying onto Shizu's face as she held it before her. She wove her way through the crowd, slashing and stabbing her blade anywhere she could, and then fell to her knees.

There she kneeled with Sango and Kirara, throwing her blade to the side. Her heart skipped a beat and she saw blood dripping from Kirara's underside and the cuts and wounds of Sango.

With almost tremulous hands, Shizu gently stroked Kirara. She flinched in surprise as the moment she touched her, Kirara transformed back into her small, mini form. She quickly held her up and cradled her in her arms, Kirara's blood soaking her sleeves.

"Mo…ther…" said Shizu quietly, staring at Sango before her.

All she could see was her body flesh and steady breath.

"Shizu!" shouted Shippo, making Shizu turn around to see Shippo and Kai speeding after her. They had almost reached her, Shippo casting flames and Kai trailing in fright behind him.

"Sh…Shippo!" she shouted, Kirara in her arms.

Shippo's eyes suddenly widened as he looked at her and he shouted "Look—"

But she hadn't heard the rest. Suddenly, Shizu was thrown to the ground, skidding off the dirt and flying across the battlefield. Like an object tossed ton the floor, she skidded and then stopped, unmoving, dust clouding her as she lay.

"Shizu!" shouted Kai, speaking for the first time on the battlefield, his heart racing suddenly fast.

Miroku watched in wide-eyed horror as his daughter lay unmoving in the middle of the battlefield, unable to do anything to stop her.

"Dammit!" shouted Shippo, watching her wide-eyed.

Shizu lay, twitching feebly, and they could see her completely when the dust had faded around her; she lay spread-eagled and her hair was tangled beneath her, her back where she had been hit bloodied.

"Shizu…" breathed Kai, in shock.

Shizu's body suddenly moved as a foot nudged it. The sole lay on her shoulder, and aimed a small kick at her, so that they could faintly hear her groan.

Rage and anger burned inside Kai as he saw this.

Miroku could not breathe as he saw Naraku, his foot resting upon Shizu, who was unconscious. He looked down on the pitiful human girl, still holding the cat-demon to her chest, and malice burned within him.

"Get the hell away from her!" shouted Miroku, anger and fear welling up inside him.

Naraku ignored her and looked at the girl beneath him for a moment longer, and then at Kai, who was glaring at him.

The demons had stopped and they only stood in place, ready to be ordered to strike and kill.

"Pitiful. Pathetic. Is this all that's left of human fighters?" said Naraku, nudging her like a dead animal.

Kai felt another stab of anger and saw Shippo too staring at him in fury.

"Pathetic…" said Naraku quietly, his foot still on top of her. Then his eyes fell upon the rosary wrapped around her hand, and a smile slowly crept on his face. "My Wind Tunnel," he said quietly and looked at Miroku, "so this is another to whom it has been passed down. Your daughter, I presume…?"

Miroku was glaring at him, fear and loathing consuming him, glaring like he could have hated abhorred nothing more.

"She will die, you know…just like you will monk." said Naraku softly, coldly, and with malice, "This Wind Tunnel will consume her and she will die…or I could kill her now and end it before that time comes." Naraku kicked her and she skidded shortly along the bloody ground, resting across the battlefield.

What felt like madness, intense power and hatred broke through Kai. He couldn't feel anything anymore except anger. Something broke.

Kai ran forward at Naraku with inhumane speed, the little of his human blood ebbing away and the little strength he had suddenly bursting into immense power. It was as if all the bonds he had with his human form had broken.

Shippo, suddenly realizing what was happening, raced after him, but his speed was too great.

"Kai!" he shouted desperately, but his voice hadn't reached him in time.

Kai stopped before Naraku, who didn't even glance at him, and sent his talons thrust at him with such force, such a want to _kill_—

Naraku caught his hand as if he had been nothing but thin, weak air in his own hand, not looking at him. Kai suddenly froze, as if time did, not realizing what had just happened and his blood roiling within him.

For a moment, a moment like several days, Naraku and Kai stood still. Naraku's cold hands clutched his wrist and he stood, feeling the demonic aura suddenly ebb away from this boy.

Shippo looked at them, too shocked to move. He moved an inch forward and then froze, his eyes wide.

"Impulsive, foolish…every bit like that hanyou, Inuyasha." said Naraku coldly. He released Kai's wrist and the child suddenly fell, to the ground, the bit of demon blood he had returning to its sleep. He could barely breathe and sweat beaded his face, covering his hands and neck, unable to move. Naraku's demonic aura was crushing the life out of him.

"…your demonic aura…its waned. Even that is like the hanyou's. That was all the strength you had then…now you return to this pitiful human state."

Naraku glared down at him, his red eyes scanning him. He could see the pitiful child, clutching his chest and suffocating under the pressure of his demonic aura.

"That was all of your strength, pathetic as it was. But I couldn't have expected any more than that from your form…" then Naraku stepped closer to him. Kai had the impulse to back away but he couldn't move at all; he could barely breath.

"You have something I want, hanyou," said Naraku, glaring down at him. "Something I need…the completion of my power."

Naraku suddenly gripped the Jewel around his neck and then held up Kai by the neck of his shirt.

Shippo flinched, afraid of what was going to happen, but still. He had the impulse to run, to stop what was going to happen.

Naraku continued to hold him up, as if he weighed like nothing, and Kai could only stare at him. His heart was barely beating, and time had stopped; terror clutched him, suffocating him, as if he would drown. He could feel fear, and only that, as he stared at this demon.

"The completion of my power," Naraku breathed again, and he held the Jewel in his hand, black is if filled with darkness.

Shippo suddenly sprinted at them, hurtling at Naraku and Kai, unknowing of what was about to happen but racing to stop it. "Kai!" he shouted and cast his fox-fire like arrows at the demons. They sped but stopped as Naraku swiped them away, bursting into embers.

Kai couldn't move, he couldn't breath, he couldn't do anything; he could only looked in terror at the black Jewel in Naraku's hand.

"The complete Shikon Jewel will be mine," Naraku breathed and the Jewel glowed blackness, like night.

It suddenly burst.

Light suddenly burst into the sky from the well, illuminating everything around it in a sudden glow of blinding light. Naraku suddenly whipped his head at the well, the Jewel still tightly held in his hand. Kai's eyes widened as he looked at it, barely conscious, insensible.

The light began to die as a figure appeared climbing out of the well, so close to Naraku and Kai.

Kagome Higurashi stepped out of the well, the light fading from the well's depths, and the glow disappearing around the reincarnation as she stepped back into the past after nine years.

In that moment, as she looked around her in bewilderment, their eyes met; Kagome's bright hazel ones and Naraku's blood red.

The Jewel in his hand seemed to suddenly burst with light, mixed with its blackness, as if shards of gold were breaking.

Naraku stared at her in horror and shock, dropping Kai and the Jewel spilling light from its pitch-dark depths. It was as if the jewel was purifying and Naraku was suddenly breaking.

"Kagura!" he shouted quickly, the shafts of light bursting form the jewel blinding, along with the darkness bursting froth from it.

The woman suddenly drew her humungous fan from her back, her red eyes filled with the darkness and light bursting from the Jewel.

"Both Worlds' Storm!" she shouted, her voice ripping through the confusion.

Blades of wind erupted from her fan, humungous twisters that seemed to tear the land apart. It was as if the skies were clashing against the earth.

The light and darkness spilling from the Jewel was torn as the twisters ripped across the skies and ground, sending the cries of demons into the air. The endless gold and blackness lacing the sky tore, the twisters ripped across the ground, sending debris everywhere.

In a moment of chaos, the light and dark emitting from the Jewel died and the great twisters faded, the Jewel clear, like nothingness.

**I hope you've enjoyed this chapter of When Bonds Are Broken, and sorry it came out so late. I think of it like a manga; you have to wait a, long time to get it, but eventually it comes.**

**Now everything's going to happen; Kagome's in the past, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru are on the move, and Naraku's search for power is bringing him to Kai…?**


	9. Chapter 8: Tears, part 1

**Sorry it came out late, really late and I'm really sorry! I mean REALLY late and sorry. I actually had this chapter done months ago, but I only published it now. REALLY SORRY! **

**This is the chapter that will finally explain what happened 14 years ago, with Naraku, Sango, Miroku, Shippo…and more importantly, Kagome and Inuyasha (well, a bit.)**

…

The lights and blacks flashed in the sky, blindingly and disorienting, swirling and swishing as if they created the sky. The twisters tore through the land and sky. They're strength was only barely imaginable; they sucked in the clouds and swept the heavens, driving like knives through the ground and tearing at it, digging trenches and furrows. Chucks of earth and the remains of homes were sucked into the twisters, the sky still flashing with light and darkness, chaos consuming it. It felt as if lightning were flashing madly across a pitch-black storm.

The sound of the heavy rushing wind and the ground being torn apart was deafening. It was a storm that touched the heavens and consumed the earth.

Trenches were clawed into the land, the ground being torn into the air in massive chunks and jagged slabs, showering dirt and blood like rain on the ground. The winds tore at whatever they could get, including the remaining debris of houses and white ash, and sent Kai skidding of the ground and bodily thrown into the sky and tossed to the ground again. He could feel the sharp pain of a slab of stone cut deeply into his cheek, and saw vaguely through the cracks of his barely opened eyes the droplets of blood now flowing to the ravaged and destroyed land.

Then it stopped.

Suddenly, the hellish storm calmed, the winds finally softening and the sky, pulsing with the colors of streaming gold and black fading into orange.

The twisters seemed to suddenly soothe, like a clamed beast after killing whatever it could and roaring ferociously. They became subtle winds that feebly twisted in mid-air like a slowing coin, and then faded into nothingness.

The skies continued to pulse with black and gold. They swam through the atmosphere, until the colors began to gradually fade, slowly disappearing into soft orange.

_Pitter-patter…_

_Pitter-patter… _

_Pitter-patter… _

_Patter-patter… pitter-patter… _

_Patter…_

The sound was subtle as hail beginning to fall, meeting the earth in clacks and pattering.

Kai lied on the ground, on his side with the side of his face and body, pressed against the shattered ground and his eyes blank. His breath barely came out in sharp inhales and exhales. He breathed rapidly, his hair thrown over most of his face. He could barely feel anything; he could feel his rapid breath and the pain cut across the side of his face. But nothing more. Not even the rubble falling over him like hail.

It clattered against the ground softly. It was the remains of houses and the tattered land, torn and ravaged. Trenched were dug deep into the land, splintered with slabs of earth jutting from the deep etchings.

Kai could only see his hand spread before him, rubble falling into it from the sky, and the blood smearing the side of his face. He was struggling to keep conscious. He didn't even know why he was trying.

His fingers twitched feebly. He couldn't even feel the debris collecting in his hand. It felt like he was just lying there, not feeling the ground or the blood of the debris.

His golden eyes looked blankly at the battlefield; it looked massacred. He could vaguely remember being tossed across the ground by the wind and scarped by the flying debris, but that was all.

_No!_

His eyes snapped wide, and he was fully awake.

_Mom…Mom!_

He hadn't imagined it! She had come out of the well, like he did, into the past. And something had happened when he lost sight of her and the twisters suddenly appeared.

_Mom…Mom…_

She was here, in the past. He had barely enough energy to scan the battlefield, to look for her desperately, but he could see nothing; only the massacred land buried in rubble.

_She's here, I saw her…_

She had even looked at him. Her soft hazel eyes, so familiar, looked at him. He remembered.

_Where are you…? Mom!_

But he couldn't keep looking any longer. A wave of black washed over him, making everything extinguished in darkness. He couldn't even hear Shippo, calling out his name from the battlefield.

_M-mom…_

Yes, it was all black.

_Wake up…_

His red eyes…_she hated them…_

_Please…wake up…_

It was their fault all of this happened…even her _son was a mistake_.

_No! I love him! Please, please, wake up!_

She could feel only a little. Something tugging at her arm and the sound of a voice, a girl's voice maybe.

"Hey," said the girl's voice again. "Hey, are you alright?"

It sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't remember it quite. But she had heard it before.

She felt warm hands tug at her arms, again and again as if she were trying to pull her up from the ground. But she didn't stir, she didn't respond.

Then she could feel her lips. The sensation in them made them feel alive, as if she could actually move. Then, to her own and the girl's amazement, she made a sound.

"…It was…it was his fault."

She couldn't hear the girl respond; she was in a dream she couldn't awake from.

"It's his fault…all of this happened…"

She couldn't see it, but the girl had stopped to look at her. She had taken her hands off of her arms and stopped trying to pull her onto her feet from the ground. She stood, in deep pondering, wondering of she should remain with her any longer. She pulled back a stray lock of her hair from her face, wondering.

Then as she turned to leave, patting her water-lily kimono, she abruptly stopped; she had heard the woman's voice again.

"I don't want to…not anymore…I don't want to…love him anymore…"

Kagome lay, trapped in her thoughts, as she girl watched and listened to nothingness:

…

_9 years ago…_

"_Can I hold her Sango?'_

_Sango sat down, looking at her friend wonderingly. Kagome was looking at Sango with pleading eye's as Shizu lay on her mother's lap, contently cooing in her baby-blue outfit Kagome had given her, and staring up at the adults with wide-eyes._

_Kagome was Sango's best friend for sure, but this was her child…and hell, she wasn't gonna let Miroku teach her a thing or two about perversion. But, she was her __**child**_

"_C'mon Sango it's not like I'm gonna drop her or something," said Kagome pleadingly, staring at the chubby, wide-eyed baby._

"_Thanks for adding to my list of worries," said Sango, fingering Shizu's hair playfully, but Kagome was persistent._

"_I buy her clothes and toys, even those expensive little dolls for her to play with—"_

"_You didn't have to buy it," said Sango, playfully persistent._

"_But I am such a caring auntie I went out of my way and bought it for her anyway, and you won't even let me __**hold**__ her."_

_Sango looked at Kagome to see her enviously eying Shizu, the cute chubby little baby on her mother's lap. She really couldn't think of anything to use against her and with a sigh, grabbed Shizu under her arms and plopped her on Kagome's lap._

_Kagome almost squealed with joy, looking down on the little baby, who couldn't have felt anymore like these two women's' toy_

_Kagome immediately grabbed at the chance to play with the curls of her hair, jiggling her on her lap and feeling the weight of the baby of her legs._

"_If only she was mine…" said Kagome wistfully, hoping Sango's over-protectiveness wouldn't kick in overdrive._

"_I'm not giving her up yet," said Sango, and the playfulness in her voice relieved Kagome. Recently, the baby had been a thing of danger for Kagome; at jokes Sango got nervous, and at sarcasm she would grab the baby and run._

_Thank god Miroku isn't the same…then again, it would be hard to imagine Miroku a protective father figure…okay, maybe not so hard._

_I would love to have my own," said Kagome, envious and letting Shizu giggle as she jiggled her on her lap, "but that will happen when hell freezes over. Or mom, but I'm betting hell will before she does."_

"_Still not happy that you didn't enter that 'college' thing?" said Sango sympathetically._

"_Angry is an understatement," said Kagome, sighing. She could feel the thin curls of Shizu's darkening hair, and became more envious every second._

_The little baby looked up at the two adults, her wide eyes staring at them._

_Kagome looked down on the young child and smiled, taking her two chubby hands in hers. They were so small and soft, unlike someone's rough and calloused hands she knew…_

"_Is Miroku doing his fair share of the parenting duties?" she asked, playing with the baby and lifting her arms over her head. The baby didn't react, like a stuffed doll._

"…_you could say that," said Sango, sighing and putting her chin in her fist. "But as long as he's not running off with women, I'm happy."_

"_He's still doing that?" said Kagome._

"_God, I hope not," said Sango, "but you can never be too certain."_

"_C'mon, give him some more faith than that, Sango!" said Kagome, lifting the child onto her feet. Shizu giggled, standing with her arms held over her head by Kagome. "He's married to you and has a kid now; you have to give him some trust!"_

"_Hey, you know him," said Sango defensively. "Can you really tell me that he'd stop chasing women, simple as that?"_

_Kagome opened her mouth indignantly to answer, but as soon as she did the sudden thoughts of Miroku flirting with village women at that very moment struck her and she didn't answer, closing her mouth dumbly._

"_I didn't think so," said Sango, hearing her defeated silence._

_Shizu scrabbled in Kagome arms, kicking her legs in midair and flying freely to and fro. Kagome dropped her onto her lap and the little baby wobbled, not sure what to do with itself. Kagome stuffed her hands in her hair, playing with it mercilessly. When she actually __**did**__ have hair, Kagome would feel sorry for her. She could imagine playing with it without mercy._

"_Hey, Kagome," said Sango suddenly, Kagome barely catching the words._

_Kagome looked at her, and it looked as if Sango was straining herself somewhat to say it, "How are…how are things with you and Inuyasha going?"_

_Kagome had guessed that she'd ask this, but she still felt warmth flood into her face and turned around so that Sango couldn't see her._

"_Why…?" asked Kagome, her voice quieter than it usually was._

"_I was just wondering," she said, trying to catch Kagome's eye. "He hasn't been around lately."_

_Kagome looked up to see her, and saw Sango so intensely looking at her, to determine that she would answer her and tell her the truth._

_She hadn't seen Inuyasha much, part of which she was grateful for and other parts…after he hadn't been back for a while, still searching if she was alive, like she had been times before when she seemed to have been lost…_

"_It doesn't really matter, Sango," said Kagome hastily, and she knew that Sango would know that she was avoiding the subject and hoped she would just drop it._

_But Sango was persistent, and stared at her hard before saying, "He's not…still looking is he?"_

_Kagome tried her hardest not to look at her, but the words drove talons into her, tearing at her, except no blood flowed from the pain._

_The memory was still clear in her mind. Why couldn't she just die, was it that hard just to die, Kikyo?_

_It wasn't even long ago, maybe three of four days ago. Then why did it feel like a month already? They had been fighting Naraku, and Kikyo…her bow was smashed and even with her priestess powers…she had been killed by the Shikon jewel's power._

_It was the same as last time; he had pierced her through the chest and sent her plummeting down, the earth splitting, into a river of miasma. _

_Inuyasha had gone looking for her, just like before. But he hadn't gone back to the village even days after disappearing to look for her, he had just continued searching for her._

_Why did he even still look for her, why did he even still love her?_

_Sango looked at Kagome, who didn't answer, but could tell by the expression of her face._

"_He still loves you, Kagome," said Sango, staring hard at her, "you know he does."_

"_Yeah, he just loves Kikyo more," said Kagome, almost laughing and still staring at her feet._

_Shizu watched the adults with wide eyes, and touched her small hands upon the side of Kagome's face. Kagome lifted her eyes from the ground to see the young child patting her, as if reassuringly, on the side of the face. She took her hands in her own, squeezing it as if trying to say in the squeeze, "thank you."_

"_I don't think so," said Sango, still looking intensely at her friend._

_Kagome let go of Shizu's hand and looked at her, saying, "You don't know."_

"_I'm not just saying this because I'm your friend, Kagome," said Sango gently, looking at her with soft eyes, but Kagome didn't look at her back._

_She didn't know anymore, she didn't know who she was to him._

_No one said anything and the woman merely sat, not looking at one another, with the baby cooing in the awkward silence_

"_Hey," said Sango suddenly, looking at the sky, which was now turning red as the sun dipped behind the horizon. "Shouldn't you be getting to your time now?"_

_Kagome whipped her head around to look, reeling herself out of her thoughts, at the sky and whispered, "damn," grabbed Shizu under her arms and rested her on Sango's lap, getting up and brushing her skirt._

"_Don't swear in front of Shizu," said Sango reproachfully as she grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulders, and gathered her things. "You've done it more than once already."_

"_Right—sorry!" said Kagome hurriedly, jumping off of the porch of the village house and onto the ground. She looked at the watch on her wrist, thinking, "damn, mom's gonna kill me!"_

_The red light hit her face, and she could see the clouds enveloped in color. _

"_Well," said Kagome, looking back at Sango and Shizu and waving, "I gotta go. I'll see ya tomorrow!"_

"_Bye!" said Sango, holding Shizu's hand in her own and waving it, while the baby just watched, going along with whatever the grown-up would do with her._

_Sango wanted to say more, something to tell Kagome to tell her that it wasn't hopeless, but she remained quiet, smiling and waving._

"_See ya! Sango, Shizu!" Kagome called back and set off in a sprint. The soles of her shoes slid across the ground, and she could see the village, flashing around her as she ran._

_She could see Kaede with the village children, teaching them to pick herbs, and waved as she passed, but she was sure Kaede hadn't noticed her. This place was so peaceful…compared to the battlefield following them wherever they went, Naraku the victor. He had so many shards…and they just couldn't seem to find the final one. Kagome couldn't even sense it but it was there or Naraku wouldn't be looking any more. _

_**How long are we going to look for it? It's been so long already…Naraku's almost all powerful… would it matter?**_

_If only Kikyo were still here…she could sense the Shikon shards too. But if Kagome couldn't sense it, how would Kikyo be able to…?_

_Kikyo…_

_Kagome wove her way through the village, and was now in the forest of the Gishonboku and sacred well. The trees covered the sunlight, but it still broke through the treetops and speckled the ground in dappled light. _

_Kagome walked across the forest, over the thick roots of trees and the branches that scraped at her face. She could feel the sunlight flicker over her and as she looked at her watch again, she hastily hurried._

_In her haste, she tripped twice over the tree roots just sticking out of the ground and the uneven land. Finally tearing her hair out of the tree branches, she reached the Gishonboku, so close to the well._

_**There, **__she thought, sighing with relief, and stepped forward. As she almost walked forward, she saw something and caught her breath, leaping back._

_Pressed flat against trees, she put her hand to her heart and hoped that he hadn't heard her tripping over the roots and snapping in the twigs on the ground._

_She was so stupid! Why didn't she remember, of all things? How could she have forgotten this day, of all days?_

_The anniversary of Kikyo's death, when she had first died more than fifty years ago._

_**STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! **__She though, grabbing fistfuls of her hair and almost banging her head against the tree. What idiot was she, to have forgotten of all days?_

_Removing her hands from her hair, she held her breath and glanced at the side of the tree. She knew it. _

_Inuyasha was standing there in his red fire-rats' robe, the Tetsusaiga at his side, and his white hair spilling down his back. He hand pressed to the place where he had been shot to the tree…by Kikyo._

_Kagome was glad she couldn't see his face. It was still painful; still after all this time, to think that he still cared for the dead priestess._

_So he had come back to the village…he had come back, from searching for her for this long. He had come back, to sit beneath the tree where Kikyo had shot him. _

_Kagome watched him, his hand pressed to the spot and his fist clenched. __**I shouldn't be seeing this…he probably wants to be alone, she thought**__, preparing to turn around. She had to go, but this was just…_

_Mom wouldn't mind if she stayed around for the night. She was sure Inuyasha wouldn't leave this spot until the morning. He would probably go, searching for her remains again._

_As she turned to leave she suddenly heard his voice, making her heart skip a beat._

"_Kagome," he said, still facing the Gishonboku._

_Why was she so close to cursing out loud, yelling "Fu--!"? Clutching her heart, Kagome turned around to see him, slowly walking into the open, the soles of her shoes snapping the twigs scattered on the ground. __**Of course he could tell I was here! My scent…**_

_She could see him clearly out in the open, his back still turned to her. He wasn't angry, was he…? _

"_Um…" she started out awkwardly. She suddenly wished she was anywhere else but here, even at home where mom would scold her. Twisting her hands, she continued, "…I…I was just going…back to the present."_

_He didn't answer, still facing the Gishonboku. Kagome looked at him nervously and the silence was deafening; she would rather he was yelling at her, telling her to leave. She would have gladly left at that moment but something held her back._

_Twisting her hands even more until her nails were scraping across her skin, she started out loudly, "I…I'm sorry…! I wasn't trying…to pry or anything, I just—"_

_**Forgot? **__How could she say that?_

"_I'm sorry..!" she said, not knowing what else she could say, "I know you're angry…I'll just…!"_

_Kagome stopped. She __**had**__ forgotten today was the day of Kikyo's death, when Naraku had killed her and tore apart her and Inuyasha…_

_He still didn't answer, facing the Gishonboku. Kagome wasn't even sure if he was listening to her; he was probably lost in his thoughts about __**her**_

_Drawing her breathe, she edged to leave and wondered if he would notice. He probably wouldn't…she wondered if he had even known she had been there and wasn't speaking his thoughts aloud._

_**If he was**__, she thought, silently stepping back, __**he wouldn't notice that I was here.**_

_As she stepped back, the sole of her shoe crunching against the mixture of twigs and leaves on the ground, her heart skipped another beat: he had noticed she was there. He was talking to __**her**_

"_No…it's not that," he answered after a while. _

_Kagome was surprised. His voice…it was so calm. She was almost certain that he was angry with her, that his unstoppable temper would lash out at her and she would defend herself and stalk away. _

_**This**__ was not what she had expected._

_He was silent, as if he had nothing more to say. Just as Kagome was beginning to think again that he was speaking out loud, he turned around, and his golden eyes fixed on her. _

_No…there wasn't anger in his eyes, like she thought they're would be. She couldn't tell what was in their golden depths as she looked at him back…sadness…? No, it wasn't sadness either. It was as if he was torn between two thoughts and two decisions to make. Deep thought._

_He sat down on the thick roots of the tree, his arms resting on his knees, and the guard of the Tetsusaiga glinting in the dappled red light. _

_He didn't say anything more, resting on the root of the great tree. The light dappled his white hair that fell messily over his shoulders and down his back, and his golden eyes had closed._

_He wasn't angry…was he?_

_Kagome watched him tentatively; it was obvious that he had seen her and knew she was there. She watched him for a moment longer and then tentatively approached him, feeling the light bleeding through the Gishonboku's treetop cascade over her._

_She sat on another of the Gishonboku's think roots jutting from the ground, looking at the ground, and then turning to see Inuyasha's face. _

_It was like the first time she had seen him, she thought suddenly, her heart pounding fast; his eyes closed, his face so gentle, as if in slumber…but he had changed still, even just a little. _

_The Shikon Jewel had changed him; like she had changed these past five years. He was older, more mature, who could have been a college student in her world. Kagome could imagine all the girls falling head over heels for him, the handsome silver-haired hanyou._

_His white hair was still the same, though it had become a bit tamer, maybe a bit sleeker. If Izayoi had been looking at him now, she would have been reminded so painfully of his father, InuTashio, though younger, with hair more wild. _

_But he wasn't the only who had changed…everyone and everything had. This land…was now slowly dying. And it was all his fault; it was all Naraku's fault. And it was his fault the priestess had died._

_But that wasn't the only thing that had changed…the battlefield and Naraku weren't the only things changing, and the decaying world._

_Inuyasha opened his eyes and Kagome realized she was looking straight at him and looked away, flushed. But he didn't look angry; he almost looked deep in thought…as if something heavy were on his mind…_

_She thought painfully and certainly that he was thinking of the dead priestess and Kagome, the girl who reminded him so much of her. Kikyo's copy, though flawed, but she shook her head, trying to brush these thoughts away, and wished with all her heart that these weren't true._

"_Its…" she said, unbelieving that she was saying this but unable to stop herself, "It's…the anniversary of Kikyo's death, the day you were sealed to the tree…."_

"…_yeah," said Inuyasha softly, looking at the ground, his face still showing deep thought and vague, what was it…? _

_Kagome tried not to speak, trying to let the awkward silence seep through. But she couldn't help herself; she just had to know, after all these years she wanted him to tell her the truth, and she couldn't help herself. She had to know, she couldn't help herself;_

"_I-I…Inuyasha…" she began, twisting the cloth of her skirt in her hands. Her palms were burning and sweaty, and she could feel them dampen the fabric she wrung in her hands. "Do you…do you still…?"_

_**I don't have the right to ask him, its just prying!**__ She thought savagely, trying to stop the words from coming out. But she did have the right to ask him…it wasn't prying… she loved him, she had to know._

"'_Do you still love Kikyo?'" Inuyasha finished for her, still into looking at her._

_Kagome looked up at him, surprised. She hadn't thought that he'd known what she was going to say…what he she was going to ask. She couldn't meet his eyes, which were locked on the ground._

_When he talked, she was so relieved that his voice was calm and composed that she almost sighed with relief. But his words were almost…strained, and filled with a deep thought that he didn't usually speak with._

"_Kikyo…was the first person beside my mother who ever acknowledged me, who didn't run in fear or look at me with hatred in their eyes. She was one of the only people who looked at me without hate in their eyes."_

_Kagome listened, without nodding or shaking her head, but looked at him with her earnest hazel eyes. But she could feel every word, everything comforting about Kikyo to Inuyasha tear at her heart and crack it, as if it were slowly breaking._

_**But…please…I want to know, even if my heart breaks…if you still love her.**_

_Kagome knew the rest of the story… she knew what happened in the village and a bit of what happened between Inuyasha and Kikyo._

"_Kikyo…" she said softly, maybe to herself, maybe force him reveal how he felt about the dead priestess, "…she had a sixth sense. And…you could never get the jewel from her…to turn yourself into a full demon. But, even when she did catch you trying to steal the jewel, she would never kill you," __**could was more like it,**__ Kagome thought, almost painfully._

_She wanted to stop here and just forget Kikyo, everything about the dead priestess and her relationship to Inuyasha, but she persevered. She wanted to know…she just wanted to know, she had to._

"_She said…" said Kagome, now the words hurting her. She skipped the parts, all the few parts she knew that included Inuyasha and Kikyo falling in love with one another. She bit her lip for a moment, not knowing again whether Inuyasha was aware she was right beside him. But, she said painfully, "…the…the jewel could make you human. That…it would go away when…you became human and…" and Kikyo would no longer be a priestess, forced to guard the jewel. She could be an ordinary woman and he could be human. And they could be together… together, as humans._

_Inuyasha didn't answer her silence but let her sit quietly, biting her lip and wringing her hands in her alp as she looked at the floor. She vaguely wondered whether he could hear her heart pounding madly in her chest._

_She remembered the time when she had asked him who was the woman he wanted to be with, the one he loved: her or Kikyo. And he had answered that he loved them both._

_**It's been years! Kikyo's dead and it's been years since he said that!**_

_She wanted to know who he loved, if he no longer loved Kikyo and only wanted to be with her, __**Kagome**__… or if she would have to wait another five years until she could ask again._

_**Please be the first one.**_

"_Do you still love her?" she asked, almost desperately, looking almost pleadingly at him and standing up._

_She could feel and hear her heart beating wildly and felt her arms tremble at her sides as she stared at him. He looked at the ground, still not answering._

_She grabbed his arms, almost shaking him and saying, "Hey, are you even listening to me?"_

_His face turned to her, and for some reason, some reason she just couldn't grasp, her heart skipped a beat. He stared at her, with strangely thoughtful gaze, and she was vaguely consciously that he was now standing before her._

_She dropped her arms to her sides, looking at him as if she couldn't say anything or look away._

"_D-do…" she said softly, staring at him for the truth, "do…you still love her…?"_

_She couldn't tell what his answer was going to be as he merely stared at her. His golden eyes…they were so familiar, so hated and so loved._

_A shiver ran down her spine as she suddenly felt his hand, calloused but gentle, along the side of her face, pulling her hair back. _

_Slowly, she looked away from his hand and found his intense golden eye so close to hers, saying so softly it was a whisper, "Inuyasha…?"_

_She didn't see anymore; his face was too close to hers. His fingers tangled in her raven hair, he kissed her._

_It wasn't the first time they had kissed; they had done it before. But something was different, something felt more solemn, treasuring as if this would be the last time their lips touched. _

_As if he were saying "I love only you."_

_She gave up, gave herself up completely, and kissed him back, her arms pressed against his chest. She could only feel her arms almost clutching his chest, his fingers entwined with her dark hair, and the lips pressed against hers in the darkness._

_Why did this feel so different? _

_An end and a beginning._

_She found herself looking, as their lips parted, into his intense golden eyes, her lips burning with a sensation. ._

"_What…" he said, the back of his hand barely skimming lightly across the side of her face, "do you think?" _

_His golden eyes searched her for the answer, and for some reason, she found tears rimming her eyes. She wanted to turn away, to wipe her eyes and look away, but she continued to stare, almost wide-eyed at him, the tears brimming her eyes._

"_You…you don't love Kikyo anymore…?" she whispered, staring at him unbelievingly._

"_Not anymore," he answered her, his face still so close to hers that their lips could almost touch again, kiss again._

_She felt as if she could sob with relief, as if she could just break down and cry right here, holding his words, almost not believing them. But she turned away, trying to wipe the tears away from her eyes._

_Inuyasha caught her hand in his, and as she whipped around to look at him, his hand brushed the tears rimming her eyes._

"_You don't…you don't mean that…do you?" said Kagome. She was torn between falling down to the ground, crying or laughing with relief, or both._

"_You don't believe me?" said Inuyasha and she could see the whisper of a smile on his face. _

_She could break down right now, crying and laughing. _

"_It's been five years," she said quietly._

_She clapped her hands over her mouth, tears running down her cheek but laughter coming out from her lips. She didn't know what to believe, she didn't know what he was even saying; but she wanted to believe the words she could faintly hear, she wanted to believe those with all her heart, that they were true._

"_Ha ha…" came the silent laughter from the hands over her mouth. She didn't know what to want or what to believe. She just wanted to fall on the ground and lie there, fall into a million pieces._

_It couldn't be happening._

_No…it couldn't be._

"_I'm not just Kikyo's replacement…?" said Kagome quietly, not even looking at Inuyasha anymore._

_She could feel him pull away one of the hands from her mouth, still numb with disbelief and what felt like empty hope, and turn her eyes up to meet his. _

"_You were never her replacement, Kagome," he said, forcing her to listen and meet his golden eyes. "I don't love her anymore… I don't love Kikyo anymore. Only you. I'll say it as many times as you want, as many times as you need to hear it._

"_I love only you." _

_Kagome could feel her body tremble, wanting to break down and sob. She forced herself to look away form his golden eyes with tears shining in her own, but she forced herself not to cry._

"_Its not…a lie, is it…?" she whispered, sobs choking her. _

_She forced the tears not to fall and she forced herself not to let the sobs slip through, and for a moment she could not hear his answer. But as she turned to look up at him, the silence fulfilling her doubts, his golden eyes froze her. _

_She couldn't move as he neared her, his silver hair sweeping across the side of her face and his lips brushing her ear._

"_It isn't a lie, Kagome… and I'll tell you as many times as you need to believe me. I love only you._

"_Only you."_

_The words ran in her ears, almost inaudible. She still could barely move or feel him move away._

_She could only force herself with all of her will to look up to him and find his golden eyes. _

_Her hazel eyes met his the last time. Her body froze as their eyes met, his golden eyes looking so intensely into hers, trying to convince her that this was the truth. _

_She could only feel his golden eyes and her own stare. Her heart skipped a beat. She couldn't make a noise._

_Before she knew it, she pulled herself into his chest, crying her heart out and letting the tears soak his robe. She felt his arms enfold her and her body tremble with sobs, believing every word. Believing the only thing she needed to believe, the only words she needed:_

"_**I love only you."**_

…

_She could barely see through the darkness, she couldn't tell what time it was. She only knew she was in a dark room and the only thing covering her body was his. _

_She felt his lips meet her again in the darkness, only the two of them in the darkness. Only them._

_Then she could remember no more…_

…

_Fire was burning everywhere. Smoke filled the sky, heat burning the flesh off of the people of the village. Their screams and cries rent the air, filled with the enormous embers. _

_A young boy was running with his mother as she held the baby against her chest, the young boy crying and sobbing with tears and dirt smearing his face. _

_Kagome tried to get through the women and children that filled the village, trying to run in the panic. Their screams and cries mixed with that of the demons and the men falling to the ground as they fought. She could barely squeeze through them and avoided the falling debris of burning houses, chunks of the burning roofs falling down._

_Her bow and sliver of arrows was slung across her back, covered by the fire rat robe that acted like invincible armor against the flames. She could barely see through the heat and the smoke that filled the air, and the people blocking her path._

_But she could see Inuyasha at the entrance of the village. She could barely see the dark blood soaking his white robe through the heat and the demons surrounding him as he slashed away at them with his Tetsusaiga._

_At the sight of the blood soaking him and the demons surrounding him, she hurried forward, pushing the people streaming through the streets out of her way. _

_The burning debris of crumbling houses continued to fall onto her and the smoke filled her lungs, trying to suffocate her. The people continued to scream and shout as they slammed through one another, frantically trying to wrestle their way out of the burning village._

_The people forced her to fight her way through them as they surrounded her and crushed her, threatening to stampede her in their frenzy. Kagome pushed her way through, still trying to get to the entrance of the village._

"_I…Inuyasha!" she shouted, hoping her voice would reach him._

_People slammed against her and the burning buildings shed embers onto the parts of her skin revealed by the fire rob. She gripped her bow tightly and found herself being pushed and pulled by the current of frantic villagers trying to flee._

_Slamming her way through the crowd, Kagome began to sprint further to the entrance. The heat waves and smoke blinded her, but she could still see Inuyasha fighting at the entrance, keeping the demons from entering the village._

_Kagome suddenly whipped away from the scene to see a few villagers still fighting and others running through the streets as they frantically fled. One of the people she could see still fighting was Miroku, slashing away at the demons with his staff._

_A villager slammed into her and sent her falling to the ground, ignoring her in the panic. Kagome hurriedly got back to her feet and began running to Miroku, the feathered end of an arrow in her fingers and the bow clasped tightly in her hand. _

"_Mi…Miroku…" she gasped, running through the burning buildings and ashen streets._

_Kagome whipped around, hearing a sharp, sudden scream. A young girl was sprawled on the ground, crying as she tried to get up and a demons dove at her._

_Kagome grabbed at her arrow and bow. As soon as she pulled the bowstring taut in her fingers, she released the arrow with a twang and it tore through the air, tip enveloped in light, and it struck the demon's back. The demons shrieked in pain as it burst into pieces form the holy arrow and showered the crying child in its blood._

_Kagome ran over to the child and, kneeling on the ground, lifted her up to her feet, sniveling and wiping her face with the back of her hands._

"_Go, get out of here," she told it and turned the child to the crowd leaving the village, where it sprinted off, screaming for its mother._

_Kagome watched the girl rush into the crowd for a moment and then turned to look back on the scene where the villagers, Miroku, and Inuyasha were fighting the demons. She stood, panting with the fire rat robe covering her, looking at the scene._

_**Where's Sango?**__ She thought frantically._

_She sprinted towards Miroku, where he was slashing away at demons. She held another arrow in her bowstring aimed at the sky filled with demons and released it. It shot like a bolt of lightning into the cloud of demons, piercing them and making their blood shower down._

"_Lady Kagome!" gasped Miroku when she reached him, panting for breath. His face was smeared in blood and several slashes had torn his robe._

"_Do you know…where Sango is…?" she said, pulling the fire rat robe away from her eyes and gasping._

"_She's with Shizu, getting the villagers safely out of the village and into the forest," said Miroku._

_Kagome sighed with relief, still gasping for her breath and coughing the smoke. She could feel sweat smearing her bow, slipping against her fingers. _

"_Why…why aren't you using your Wind Tunnel?" she asked after a while, regaining her breath._

"_It puts in danger some of the remaining villagers that are fighting," said Miroku, looking at his rosary-clad palm, "which puts us at a disadvantage."_

_Kagome listened without nodding or shaking her head, and turned to see Inuyasha fighting at the entrance._

"_Miroku," she gasped, looking at him, "can you keep on defending this part of the village from getting any further into the village without me? I have to get to Inuyasha."_

"_Lady Kagome, that's where Naraku is fighting with his swarm of demons." Said Miroku concernedly, trying to ward her away._

"_I know, and Inuyasha's also fighting over there," said Kagome, "and I've got his fire rat robe."_

"_It's too dangerous in the middle of Naraku's storm, Lady Kagome," said Miroku firmly._

"_But I've got Inuyasha's robe! Look, he's already soaked in blood!" said Kagome desperately._

_But without Miroku's answer, she sprinted off toward the entrance, the robe whipping around her._

"_Lady Kagome!" shouted Miroku after her, but was forced not to run after her when several demons dove at him._

_Kagome sprinted forward, shooting at the demons that ran at her. She could see Inuyasha in the crowd of demons attacking him, and she could barely see Naraku, the almost complete Jewel around his neck, fighting as well._

_She could see the hanyou parry all the demons blows and slash away the demon army with his blade, blood coloring his white robe with dark red._

_Kagome grabbed and arrow from her quiver, still running toward the fight. She drew it back in her bowstring tightly, aiming at some of the many demons at the village's entrance. And she released the arrow, letting it speed through the sky. Light bled from the purifying weapon as it tore through the village and found its mark in the wall of demons._

_They burst at the holy arrows blow, and Kagome saw Inuyasha's eyes turn around to see her running at the fight. She continued to rush forward, gasping and drawing back two arrows in her bowstring. She released them and the arrows broke down more of the demons wall breaking into the village._

_Naraku's red eyes flicked at her and the pupils seemed to suddenly shrink._

"_Inuyasha!" Kagome shouted, as the hanyou continued to fight._

_Inuyasha drew his blade back over his shoulder as he heard her call him and brought it swinging down to the ground, shouting, "Backlash Wave!"_

_The twisters tore across the ground and sky, enveloping the army of demons streaming into the village. They shrieked and screamed, the attack ripping the earth apart, and destroying the demons army. Trees were uprooted and ground was torn from the earth, blood spraying everywhere._

_Kagome stopped, the force of the blow sending her falling back to the ground. She watched as the demons fell, caught in the blade's attack that destroyed the area and the demon army. She felt whispers of wind brush her as she sat on the ground, awed by the force of the blow._

_Inuyasha suddenly whipped his head around, turning to Kagome and yelling, "Kagome, get out of here now! Run!"_

_Kagome suddenly snapped out of her awe, looking at Inuyasha. But as she turned to see him, she found something else; Naraku before her._

_His red eyes glinted before her, like slits of blood. With a glint of a smile, a flash of red teeth, he drew his arm back, covered in blood and holding a villagers weapon, and struck at her._

_He was thrown to the side with a burst of force and blood, Kagome's watching him skid along the ground. He was enveloped in a crowd of his demons and a cloud of dust, blood pooling along the ground._

_Kagome suddenly turned away to see Inuyasha standing before her. He was panting, the side of his face smeared in blood, his arms covered in it, and his robe soaked in the red liquid._

"_Y-you're hurt...!" gasped Kagome, his shadow looming over her._

"_Get...get out of here, Kagome! You shouldn't be here with Naraku!" he shouted at her._

"_No, I'm not going to leave you in the fight! Look, your soaked in blood and covered in wounds all over!" _

"_Leave or Naraku's going to kill you! Hurry and get out of the village!" He commanded her, staggering a bit._

_Before Kagome could say anything back, Inuyasha was suddenly thrown back, the blow of the force grazing her face, and demons swarmed at him._

"_Inuyasha!" cried Kagome, suddenly breaking into a sprint after him. She could feel the heat waves of the burning houses lick her, threatening to devour the flesh off her bones. She kept the fire rat robe tightly pulled over her and soon saw Inuyasha rise amongst the crowds of demons, slashing away at them. The ground split at his attacks, the demons falling into its abyss, and their blood flecked the ground._

"_I told you to get of here Kagome!" he shouted at her, heaving his giant blade back._

"_And I told you, no!" said Kagome, twirling an arrow in her hands and releasing it from its bowstring. It sped through the air and struck the demons down with a burst of light._

_Inuyasha ran towards her, slashing at the demons with his blade. They fell to the ground, more coming as more fell._

_Kagome suddenly felt Inuyasha's hand grab her shoulders, turning her around to face him._

"_Get out of here, now Kagome!" He told her. "Naraku will try and kill you!"_

"_Look at you! You're covered in blood and he'll try and kill you too! I can fight!" she said angrily._

"_Listen to me and get out of here! I...I'm not gonna be able to protect you...!" He said, his silver hair almost covering his eyes. He paused, still gripping her, blood trickling down the side of his face._

_He suddenly whipped around and pushed Kagome to the ground behind him, lifting his blade. Naraku struck, his red eyes glowing with the fires. As the two weapons met, sparks ignited the air, and blood trickled onto the ground._

_Inuyasha held the Tetsusaiga, his arms almost trembling with the effort. He could feel the blood flowing from his wounds and could hear it drip onto the ground._

"_..!" he breathed, keeping the blade steady in his hands._

_Naraku merely showed a flash of teeth in a wicked grin, lowering Tetsusaiga as he forced his weapon on Inuyasha._

_Naraku drew his weapon back and struck again at Inuyasha, Inuyasha parrying the blow. The force of the blow sent gusts of wind gathering dust from the ground._

_As Naraku drew back, his sliver of a malicious smile still on his face, he said, "you still cant try to kill me, Inuyasha."_

"_You're not killing me either, bastard." Inuyasha breathed._

"_... Not yet," Naraku whispered. He drew a villagers weapon from the ground and drew it back. "That's why I need that shard. And..."_

_Naraku launched his weapon at Inuyasha, the hanyou caught off guard and barely managing to parry the blow. In that split second, Narakun vansihed from Kagome's sight. And then she saw him, his red eyes glinting right before her as he prepared to strike..._

"_...For that I need you dead."_

_In a moment before she could realize it, a split second before Inuyasha could look back, Kagome felt a sharp pain piercing through her, filling her body with screaming. And a moment after, the pain vanished, the red eyes and color vanished..._

_Replaced with black._


End file.
